Police, Sports ministers quit for governorship race

Abbah replaces Waziri, Adedoja succeeds Bio

TWO Ministers yesterday resigned their membership of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to pursue governorship ambitions in their states of origin. They are Alhaji Adamu Waziri (Police Affairs) and Alhaji Isa Bio (Sports).

In their place, President Goodluck Jonathan, who presided over the Council session at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa Abuja, announced Dr. Humphrey Abbah, former Minister of State (Interior) as the new Ministry of Police Affairs. Minister of Special Duties, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Minister of Special Duties, will now oversee Ministry of Sports. In addition, Prof. Adedoja will also continue his job at the Special Duties Ministry.

The Council, which considered 27 memos at yesterday’s session, which is the last for the year, will resume its first session in 2011 on January 19, 2011.The Federal Government also announced that this year alone, the Council approved about N80 billion for the improvement of the power sector.

But yesterday, the total amount of contracts approved was N56.29 with power (N5.2 billion), education (N13.5 billion) and health (N1.12 billion).

Minister of Information and Communications, Mr .Labaran Maku, alongside Minister of Finance, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman, Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatau Rufai, Minister of State Power Nuhu Wya, and Minister of State (Niger Delta), Sam Ode, also announced that the Council had approved three new federal universities. This is in addition to the six earlier ones approved by the Council. They  will be sited in Gombe, Nasarawa, Katsina, Kogi, Jigawa, Taraba, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, and Ekiti.

According to him, the importance is to help the growth of education and meet the nation’s vision of being among the top 20 economies by the year 2020. The Education Trust Fund (ETF) was directed to release N1.5 billion to each of the university for their immediate take-off.

Council also approved a proposal for the supply of mathematics  text books at the cost of N3.981 billion which will be distributed to the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The project, Maku said, was in continuation of the Bring Back the Book initiatives of the President which he launched on Monday in Lagos.
Council also approved Integrated Tax Administration system for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) at the cost of N3.07 billion to modernize the nation’s tax collection system.

Notable accounting firms, Akintola Williams Delotti, KPMG and TATCOFF Services were approved as consultants to verify  the actual amount of arrears the PHCN is owing its workers under the payment of the monetization arrears, which is currently put at N258.2 million. The government spokesman stated, it is now ready to resolve the pending labour problem so that it can proceed with the power reform project.

Explaining government’s challenges, Maku said: “The labour issues, the outstanding payment of monetization arrears between 2003 and 2009, conversion of over 10,000 casual staff and payment of the balance of 150 per cent salary increase have been some of the major challenges faced in the implementation of the PHCN reforms.”

Council also approved the procurement of medicament and equipment to be supplied for the use of the Ministry of Health. The contract period is for three months.

The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs got approval for the improvement of  inland water transportation in Burutu LGA at the cost of N2.4 billion. This is to improve inland water transportation in Delta State at the cost of N1.3 billion.

To improve local consumption of gas and improve income generation in Katsina State, power  projects are to get adequate gas supply to boost power production.
Nigeria is now going to be able to establish the quantity of the gas reserve, where they are located, quality etc.

Council also approved the direct procurement of 73 Operational Vehicles for the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and other organs of the Ministry of Petroleum at the cost of N379.5 billion.

Stabilization of Power supply got a boost as contract for the provision of communication facilities for the Power Ministry was awarded by FEC at the cost of N330 million and additional N2.5 billion for the procurement of circuit breakers for the power ministry.

Others include operational of spares for Ugeli power plant N38.3 million,  bringing the total contract for power approved yesterday’s Council to N5.525 billion.
The Transport Ministry got approval for the upgrade of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) headquarters at the cost of N5.5 billion.

Council also approved the construction of Karshi-Apo road at N2.258 billion to be completed in 20 months, Abuja/Suleija road at the cost of N1.356 billion to be completed within 18 months and the rehabilitation of old Keffi road at N1.653 billion to be completed within 18 months.
Source:http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/