NEWS
Senate asks FG to repair federal roads in Edo State
The Senate has asked the Federal Ministry of Works to commence immediate repairs on the failed portions of Benin-Ekpoma-Okene Road, Benin–Sapele Road and Ewu-Uromi-Agbor Roads that linked Edo State to the North and other southern parts of the country.
It further called for adequate funding to complete the reconstruction of those roads and come up with a plan to settle all lingering issues bordering on the dualisation of the roads with contractors, and also review the terms and conditions of the contract to meet the current realities of inflation.
The resolutions following a motion sponsored by the three Senators from Edo state; Senators Clifford Akhimienmona Ordia, Matthew Urhoghide and Francis Asekhame Alimikhena.
Presenting the motion, Senator Ordia noted that the roads were constructed more than 30 years ago, and boosted socio-economic activities between the north and south of Nigeria.
He said, due to age, wear and tear, certain potions of those roads were beginning to fail, a development that had caused untold hardship on commuters plying them.
According to him, “in 2022, following series of complaints by commuters and motorists plying the Benin-Ekpoma-Okene Road, the contract for its reconstruction and dualisation was awarded by the Federal Government.
“In the same vein, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan also awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the Ewu-Uromi-Agbir Road before his administration ended in 2015.
“In 2021, it was reported that Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki attempted to intervene in fixing the failed portion of the Sapele-Asaba Road, especially the PZ-Junction-Ologbo axis of the road, he was however stalled by the Federal Government, with the reason that it is a federal road and that the contract for its rehabilitation has already been awarded.
“Since these rehabilitation and reconstruction were awarded, the pace of work has been very slow. The factors that top the list of reasons for the slow pace of work on these roads as reported are: non payment of compensation, relocation of structures/buildings on the right of way, as well as, delay in payment of contractors.”
He expressed concern that “currently, certain portions of the roads have failed completely and has become a source of nightmare to motorists, especially articulated vehicles that spend days on the same spot thereby preventing other small vehicles from navigating their way through the roads.
“Transporters are forced to increase their fares due to increased hours of time it takes for them to arrive at a journey that they would have otherwise spend less time to arrive at thereby passing the buck to passengers and travellers who now pay higher than expected fares to their destinations”.
Ordia said people of Edo state felt neglected by the Federal government, while socio-economic activities in the communities around the roads had been grossly affected negatively.
However, in his contribution, the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege denied that the project was abandoned, saying, rather, it is being carried in phases due to paucity of funds.
Also, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC- Kano South) said 34,000 kilometer roads is too much for the Federal Government to handle considering its lean resources.
Gaya said there was a need for state governors to be encouraged to do the maintainance and reconstruction of Federal roads and be refunded later.
In his remarks, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said it was unfair to allege that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had not done well in road maintainace.
Lawan said, “what was given to the Federal Ministry of Works in 2015 was N22 billion. The APC administration that took over gave the ministy over N200 billion that same year. I am just trying to put the records straight.
“There is a clear commitment from this side to address this national issue of poor condition of our roads. For us here in the Senate, and the National Assembly, what we need to do is to be really patriotic. Just support the Executive to ensure our roads wherever they are, wether they are in Delta, or in Jigawa or in Abia we don’t care. It is Nigerians that are plying these roads.
“But I think for anyone to say that the roads; over 34,0000 kilometres have not been attended to well by this administration, I think is unfair.
“So, I want us to be guided. But we have not done enough. Despite this we need to do more. But we are far better in the last seven years than the people that served for 16 years”.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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