01122020 - Why Nigeria's at mercy of terrorists — LAI MOHAMMED

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Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 — 29
:Vanguard News
:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
AGM: From left—Elder Jeremiah Osunkoya, Chairman, Gbagada zone, Senior Citizens Association of Nigeria,
Elder Godwin Ekpopobi, Chairman, lkorodu zone, Senior Citizens Association of Nigeria, Elder Chief, Timothy
Ayo-Ore, President, Senior Citizens Association in Nigeria, Mrs. Foyeke Alayande, Deputy President, Senior
Citizens Association of Nigeria and Fasasi Olawale, Rep. Chairman, Ikosi Isheri ICDA, during the Senior
Citizens Association of Nigeria's annual general meeting, held in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Kehinde Shonola.
FG approves N2.2bn for erosion, road
contract in Anambra community
By Vincent
Ujumadu
AWKA—THE Federal
Government has approved
the construction of the
erosion –prone 2.2 kilometres
of road linking Ukpo, the
home town of the oil magnate,
Prince Arthur Eze, with
the headquarters of Zone 13
police formation in Dunukofia
Local Government Area of
Anambra State.
Many families living along
the road had since vacated
as gully erosion had submerged
their houses.
Inspecting the road with
officials of the Federal Ministry
of Works, the former
member of the House of Representatives
for Anambra
East and West, Dr. Tony
Nwoye, who attracted the
project said the construction
of the road was to appreciate
the support he had received
from an indigene of
Ukpo, Prince Arthur Eze in
his political career. .
Although Nwoye had constructed
two other roads in
the community at a cost of
about N300 million, he explained
that the Oronto –
Expressway road was very
strategic as it passes through
many villages, in addition to
checking the erosion menace
in the area.
Nwoye said: “This is a very
big project that President
Muhammadu Buhari-led
federal government wants to
execute for the people of
Anambra State, especially
Ukpo community and other
communities around it.
“As you can see, some of
the people who are living
here have abandoned their
homes because of gully erosion.
The road was designed
some years ago by the Federal
Ministry of Works, Abuja
through the Anambra
State office of the ministry, but
actual construction could not
take off.
“Part of the road was completed
at a cost of about N100
million and certificate issued,
but this is the main one. By
the special grace of God, it
will be awarded officially before
Christmas at the sum of
about N2.2 billion.
“I want Ukpo community
to hold the contractor that
will execute the project accountable
to avoid unnecessary
delay.
“I facilitated the design of
this road and ensured that
it is captured in the 2020 and
2021 budget of the federal
government. I am doing this
in honour of Prince Arthur
Eze who has mentored me
politically. I am also grateful
to the Minister of Works,
Mr. Babatunde Fashola,
who has vowed that this road
must be done.,
“The Bureau of Public Procurement
has already issued
a certificate of no objection
to the Federal Ministry
of Works, which means
that the ministry is set to
present it to the federal executive
council because of
the amount involved.
“I want to assure the people
that in less than three
weeks from now, the contract
will be awarded and hopefully,
once the 2021 budget
is passed, money will be
made available so that funding
will not be a hiccup for
the contractor.”
According to Nwoye, it
was not the first time he was
facilitating road projects outside
his federal constituency,
recalling that in addition
to the two roads earlier facilitated
by him in Ukpo, he
had also done same in Onitsha.
“ I have special interest in
Ukpo because Prince Arthur
Eze has done a lot for me,
my followers and humanity.
By next year, I will also do
some roads across Anambra
State. I am not holding any
political office now but I will
continue to contribute to the
best of my ability towards the
development of Anambra
communities,” he said.
Recession: Obi shares blueprint
for economic recovery
AS THE country continues
to battle the economic recession
that recently engulfed
it, the Vice Presidential
Candidate of the People's
Democratic Party, PDP, in
2019 elections, Mr Peter Obi,
has given out what can be
described as a pathway to
economic recovery.
Obi, who spoke on Arise
TV yesterday, agreed that
the recent recession which
affected about 40 countries
around the world, was as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He however warned
that the recession would bite
harder on Nigeria because
the country already had 'underlying
economic conditions'
ranging from extreme
poverty, high unemployment
rate, high number of out-ofschool
children, highest infant
mortality rate and soaring
incidences drug abuse,
among others.
Obi explained that unlike
the previous recession,
where Nigeria recklessly
borrowed its way out, this
present recession demands
fiscal discipline for the country
to scale through.
He argued that the COV-
ID-19 fiscal stimulus of about
$5 billion, provided by the
Federal Government, to recover
the economy, was too
low. Obi said such an amount
would have little or no positive
impact on the economy.
Comparing Nigeria with
comparable nations like India,
Obi said they were
spending around $300 billion
to help them exit the recession,
out of which $50 billion
is for supporting small
businesses. He further said
that what was more worrisome,
was the fact that even
the little fiscal stimulus provided
in Nigeria was not
getting to the right people
and are not well accounted
for too.
He opined that Nigeria's
economy will bounce back if
government supports small
businesses. "When government
supports and empowers
small businesses, there
will be greater productivity
which will reduce unemployment,
generate more
revenues for the government
and increase development
in the country. China, for example,
finances most of their
budgets with taxes from
small businesses, because
they have a strong MSME
sector that contributes greatly
to their economy", he explained.
Obi also suggested a private
sector driven economy
that would lift many financial
burdens from the government.
He said the government
could partner with
private companies on road
construction and maintenance
and other public utilities.
Apart from generating
more revenues for the government,
Obi said such
moves would help curb
wastage and financial imprudence
associated with the
public sector.
He further called on the
government to ensure that
every kobo borrowed in the
country is put into productive
use and not consumed
or wasted. He advised Nigerians
to focus their
strength on building the nation's
economy and not be
distracted by any political
drama going on in the nation.
Uzodimma flags off
construction of Owerri/
Okigwe, Owerri/Orlu roads
10,000 residents in Abia, Abuja,
Rivers get 3M palliative packages
ABUJA—NO fewer than
10,000 Nigerians residing
in Rivers, Abia States and
the Federal Capital Territory,
FCT Abuja have benefited
from 3M food palliative packages
distributed recently by
the United Way Greater Nigeria,
UWGN, in the three
states to alleviate the sufferings
of Nigerians due to COV-
ID-19 disruptions.
Speaking on the exercise,
the UWGN Programme
Manager, Kathryn Ani-Otoibhi,
who disclosed that the residents
were handed over packages
of staple food items such
as rice, garri, noodles, tomato
paste and other cooking
ingredients such as vegetable
oil enough to feed a family
explained that the community
development was at the centre
of the relationship between
UWGN and 3M.
“In previous months,
through our partnership with
3M, we successfully distributed
care packages to underserved
communities in Lagos
as a first stop, with a view to
extending our reach to other
states of the federation. Now,
similar distributions have also
been successfully concluded in
Rivers, Abia and FCT Abuja,
also with the support of three
esteemed NGO partners
whose community mapping
practices were fundamental.
“We are grateful for 3M's
generous donation and unflinching
support, which has
enabled us to provide for the
most vulnerable families and
individuals negatively impacted
by the COVID-19
pandemic; we understand
how critical food sustenance
is to alleviating suffering and
diseases such as malnutrition.”
Onitsha building materials dealers donate
N8m to fire accident victims
By Nwabueze
Okonkwo
OTIES NITSHA—AUTHORI
of Building Materials
International
Market,BMIM, Ogidi in Idemili
North Local Government
Area of Anambra State have
splashed a whooping sum of
N8m on the 17 fire accident
victims whose shops were
razed down in one of the sections
of the market.
Each of the beneficiaries got
N500,000 each while the
owners of goods in the vehicle
burnt during the inferno
will share one million naira.
President-General of
BMIM, Chief Jude Nwankwo
who distributed the funds
in the market during their
prayer meeting said his executive
has lived up its responsibility
.
Nwankwo who has a chieftaincy
title of Ochendo
Umuawulu, noted that
By Chinonso
Alozie
Ocrowds, WERRI—JUBILANT
yesterday, lined
up along the Owerri/Okigwe
and Owerri/Orlu roads to
cheer the Imo State governor,
Hope Uzodimma as he
flagged off the construction of
the two major roads connecting
Imo with other neighbouring
states to be constructed by
Craneburg Construction
Company to the tune of N55
billion.
The events took place respectively
in Banana junction
in Orlu, Imo West Senatorial
district and Okigwe, Imo North
Senatorial district.
Motorists, commuters engaged
themselves as they
struggled to catch a glimpse of
the flag-off ceremony as well
as traditional renditions to welcome
the governor and his entourage.
According to the governor,
when the roads are completed,
economic activities in and
around the state would be
through the magnanimity of
the traders, they have raised
over N8 million to give succour
to the traders of AT line,
whose shops and goods were
burnt during a recent fire incident.
He therefore advised the
beneficiaries to use the money
judiciously and prayed God
to prosper them with the money.
"Please, the fact that we
helped fire victims does not
mean that people should start
burning their empty shops to
collect money from us.
"The secret of our success in
this administration is because
peace has returned to this
market. We are growing from
strength to strength", he
quipped.
He used the opportunity to
announce the admission of
some prominent members of
the market into the Board of
Trustees, BoT and Patrons of
the market.
He however appealed to
boosted and there would be a
heavy inflow of investors into
the state.
The governor among other
things also explained why he
did not use the Julius Berger
construction company, saying:
""These roads will be delivered
in good time. They will work
day and night to give us exactly
what we want."
On why Julius Berger construction
did not get the contract,
he said: "We only followed
the procurement act. It
states that the company that
has the most responsive bid is
given the contract.
"And Craneburg, I tell you is
even better. They will give us
quality roads and get it delivered
in good time. We hope to
get your cooperation.
"These roads are important
to our people because they have
been left in the hands of amateur
contractors since our late
governor, Sam Mbakwe built
that road over 30 years ago. Administrations
after him have
constantly engaged small contractors
but today we are giving
you a better one."
the state government to construct
a pedestrian bridge
across their market, lamenting
that a child selling sachet
water was crushed to death
few weeks ago while crossing
the express.
He contended that the importance
of the pedestrian
bridge cannot be over-emphasized
as it would help to
avoid road accidents witnessed
in front of the market
as a result of several markets
at both sides of the Expressway.
He said that with three other
markets around the area, it
has even become busier than
Upper Iweka, coupled with
the size of the roads and
drainage system, hence the
necessity of constructing a pedestrian
bridge.
Chief Nwankwo expressed
optimism that Governor Willie
Obiano would listen to their
cry in this particular issue but
called on the traders to respond
in the payment of their
taxes and levies to encourage
government in providing the
facilities to them.