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NASS decries slow pace of work on Agbara-Badagry Expressway

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NASS decries slow pace of work on Agbara-Badagry Expressway

…No age is too early to educate children about sex – Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s wife***

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters, has expressed disappointment over the slow pace of work on the Agbara-Badagry Expressway by contractor handling the project.

Chairman of the committee, Rep. Sani Bala, expressed disappointment on Wednesday when the committee paid an oversight visit to the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Topo, Badagry.

“The construction is being funded under the Sukuk, definitely the issue of finance is no longer the problem; some money has been earmarked for the project and I am sure the money has released to the contractor.

“This is an international road. There are lot of trucks carrying load from different West Africa countries to Nigeria, as well as trucks conveying goods to others countries through this road.

“It is unfortunate that the journey of less than one hour from Lagos to Badagry is now taking over five hours.

“And this is why people that would have loved to come for training at ASCON are refusing to come,’’ he said.

Bala, however, commended the management of the college for completing different projects in the institution in the last one year.

“From the last time we came till now, there have been tremendous improvement in infrastructure development in ASCON.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention projects have been completed and we are very happy about this,’’ the chairman said.

Bala said that part of the mandate of the committee was to ensure speedy completion of developmental projects included in 2021 budget.

He appealed to government agencies and institutions to patronise the institution in the training of their workers, adding that the college has all the facilities for training.

Bala assured that the committee would assist ASCON to fulfill its mandate of providing management training for public servants.

ASCON’s Director-General, Cecilia Umar-Gayya, urged the National Assembly to increase the budgetary allocation to the college to enable it meet its obligations.

“Most of the year, the N99 million appropriation to the college is not totally released and currently the college is owing N165m to different contractors, who supplied diesel to power its generators.’’

Umar-Gayya also said that the school was faced with challenge of old and dilapidated structures resulting in high maintenance cost.

The newsmen report that on Jan. 9, 2019 the federal government begun palliative works on the Agbara-Seme Border section of Lagos-Badagry Expressway to reduce the hardship being experienced by motorists, passengers and residents of the area.

In another development, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of Gov. Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, says no age is too early for parents and guardians to teach their children about sex education.

Mrs Sanwo-Olu made the assertion on Wednesday at the Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection day, a child abuse prevention workshop.

The workshop was organised by the newly-formed Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), as part of ongoing efforts to create awareness of child sexual abuse in Lagos.

Also read: VP’s wife calls for greater investment in girl-child education

The newsmen report that the workshop was held in commemoration of the state’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness month (September).

A total of 300 primary and secondary school children from public and private schools drawn from all the six education districts in Lagos attended the workshop.

The governor’s wife was represented by Mrs Mojisola Fashola, the Director of Administration and Human Resources of the Office of the Lagos State Deputy-Governor’s Office.

“Parents, it is not early to start educating your children on what they need to know about sex.

“Experts have established that a lot of parents shy away from discussing the topic and at the end of the day, the children go out to learn the wrong things.

“We therefore must keep in touch with the world by properly educating out children on everything that matters,”she said.

Mrs Sanwo-Olu indicated that on September 20, the bill establishing the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register was signed into law.

The newly-established Agency was formerly known as the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT).

She congratulated Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the new Executive-Secretary of the Agency, who was the coordinator of the DSVRT on her appointment.

“The Sex Offenders Register has finally become operational. It is hoped that it will provide the legal framework to significantly and promptly handle the menace of domestic and sexual violence.

“It is hoped that it will name and shame perpetrators and importantly provide adequate medical and legal support to the victims,” she said.

Newsmen report that some of the activities held at the workshop included: interactive sessions, games and presentations by the schools in attendance.

 

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NAGAFF Vows to Stop Kwankwaso from Taking Over NNPP

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NNPP inaugurates 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Aniebonam remains BoT Chairman

…Votes N150m take off professional fees for lawyers to begin litigation warfare!

Members of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) will vehemently resist the taking over of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) by the group noted to be loyal to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

It would be recalled that the NNPP was originally founded by the National Association of Government-Approved Freight Forwarders NAGAFF, largely to provide a credible platform for maritime industry stakeholders to make a national impact within the nation’s political space.

It. would also be recalled that the former Governor of Kano, Senator Kwankwaso latched on the NNPP, after his effort to run as the flag bearer of another political party was dimmed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who emerged as the PDP presidential candidate.

NNPP inaugurates 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Aniebonam remains BoT Chairman

Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso

Presently, a statement issued by the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Clement Iwegbuna, lamented that what started as a child’s play is becoming a reality with the body language and actions of Senator Kwankwaso to highjack NNPP from the original owners, the members of  NAGAFF.

In a swift move, the president of NAGAFF, leading the pack of resourceful young freight forwarders said the original are poised to match money for money and contact for contact to retrieve NNPP from the people tagged ungrateful.

The statement revealed that the sum of N150,000,000 has been contributed as a take-off professional fee for the lawyers to take on the serial litigations upcoming.

NAGAFF accused Kwankwaso of court abuse with the institution of a court case involving INEC at Kano State High Court. “And so what does it take someone who held the position of minister of defence and member of the national assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to know that it is out of jurisdiction to do so.

NNPP is a national party and INEC is a federal commission. “Let Nigerians be told that there is a new order in Nigeria judiciary at the moment. If Senator Kwankwaso likes let him, Elder Buba Galadima and all of them who are the former members of the National Working Committee led by Alhaji Abbah Kawu who was alleged not to be able to write a statement at the state police command, Abuja when he reported a case against Mr Phillip Oyana the Zonal Secretary North Central of New Nigeria Peoples Party.

“Our young, vibrant and informed lawyers shall meet him and his cohorts in court. Once again we hold no malice against any person. All members of NNPP and NAGAFF are children of God and always ready to show love to all manner of people who may come our way,” the statement further said.

The statement directed and appealed to all members of NAGAFF and NNPP to keep the peace of the society and be law abiding and respectful to the constitution of Nigeria.

“Regret to note that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had avoidably prided himself to have brought NNPP to relevance and recognition. Tell the American marine that trash for the fact that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso forgot to note that NNPP is as old as People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria spanning over 24 years in existence. He joined less than 2yrs ago.

“We consider Senator Kwankwaso as someone who is avoidably arrogant and proud for no good reasons. This is because NNPP provided him the opportunity to contest the Presidency of Nigeria 2023 with great men like the current president of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party

“Let it be on record that if NNPP were not winning elections for the period under review it would have been deregistered like the one he facilitated which was called Alliance National Party. As a matter of fact, the current headquarters of NNPP in Abuja is the same office used by the defunct Alliance National  Party whose chairman was one Moshood.

“We also know that the current executive Gov of Kano Alhaji Abbah Kabir who was shortchanged in the previous elections took advantage of us as children of God to be protected and today those evil men could not stop him from becoming the Gov of Kano State.

“Therefore senator RABIU MUSA Kwankwaso should be taught the principles of humility and gratefulness to people who have been nice to him.

“In all of these, he may wish to distance himself from elder Buba Galadima if he wants to make headway in politics. The former President, Gen. Buhari did realise and distanced himself to combine with Asiwaju B. A. Tinubu, the grand master to become the President of Nigeria.,” advised.

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Reps. Summon Minister, Perm.Sec. Over $300m Antimalarial Funds

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Following perceived hanky panky, the House of Representatives Committee on Malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis has summoned the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof.Mohammed Pate, over alleged misappropriation of 300 million dollars anti-malaria funds.

“The Committee has resolved that the Permanent Secretary be arrested if she failed to honour the summons, having failed to appear three times”, Rep. Amobi Ogah, the Chairman of the Committee who read the resolutions in Abuja on Tuesday, stressed.

Ogah expressed displeasure over the absence of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry at the resumed sitting of the committee on Tuesday.

“Malaria is now an epidemic in Nigeria. The government has always wanted to help the people but most times the civil servants are our problem.

“This money has been made available since 2021. We have been inviting the Permanent Secretary. This is the third time we are inviting her to come and explain to us what has happened.

“Have they used the money? If they have not used the money, where is the money? It is a matter of simple explanation. But they have been running away, calling all manner of people to talk to us,” he said

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We Didn’t Pad Budget -Adaramodu

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…Senate explains alleged N3trn 2024 budget padding

Senate on Tuesday explained that the N3trillion alleged to be padded in the 2024 budget was actually statutory transfers to first-line charge agencies of government not domiciled in the ministries.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity Sen.Yemi Adaramodu gave the explanation while speaking with journalists on the suspension of Sen. Abdul Ningi over alleged padding of the 2024 budget.

Adaramodu said the 10th Senate needed to be treasured as a pillar of democracy and would only do what would promote national interest

He said there was nothing like budget padding, saying that the false narrative on N3trillion padding was a demonstration of the error of arithmetic and innocence of procedure by the protagonists of budget padding.

“The N3 trillion is for statutory transfers of government agencies on the first lines charges.”

He listed the agencies to include Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC)Public Complaints Commission, National Judicial Council, North East Development(NEDC), Commission Niger -Delta Development Commission Commission(NDDC) among others.

$22.7bn: Senate announces new financier of Kaduna-Kano rail modernisation

The Senate

He also dismissed the issue of the provision of N500 million as constituency funds to senators, describing the allegation as a fairy tale.

He urged journalists to study the 2024 budget to investigate allocations to the National Assembly.

He said the issue of budget padding was a negative connotation and a serious crime in budgeting, hence senate didn’t take it lightly.

“It is a matter of integrity, The issue of budget has been put to rest as the protagonist of the budget padding was called to substantiate and they could not prove it but the allegations can not just go without being attended to.

“The Appropriation Act is a public document and when it was done,it was done in the public glare and it was N28.77 trillion and so for some to say N25 trillion was what was approved is scary.

“Statutory transfers for agencies on first line charges, that are not domiciled in the Ministries was what Ningi said was padded, that the allocation can not be traced.”

He reiterated that the N3trillion was not padded, was not missing, but was for agencies of government that were placed on first-line charge.

He also said the allegation that a section of the country was allocated more funds than other regions was not put in the right perspective, saying that allocations were done sectorally.

The Senate image maker said the integrity of the National Assembly was in question, hence the matter was treated with the seriousness it deserved.

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