WHY WE CONTINUE TO FETCH WATER FROM THE TAP AND POUR INTO THE SEA IS WHAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND . . . .

From Ayodele Adesanmi and Okey Muogbo - 09.12.2009

AT a cost of over N3.5 billion, the Federal Capital Territory would construct a new official residence for the Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President, Mr David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole, next year.

Also to benefit are the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, and the Deputy Speaker, Bayero Nafada. The Minister of Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mallam Adamu Aliero, who made this known when he appeared before the Senate Committee on FCT on Tuesday, in Abuja, to defend his ministry’s N124.110 billion 2010 budget, informed that in order to reduce the rate at which public officials travelled abroad for medical attention, a five-star hospital with state-of-the-art facilities would be built in Abuja.

He said that a 400 megawatts hydro-power generation station would be built in order to ease the problem of power for the people living in the territory. The 400 megawatts of power, he explained, would be generated from the Gurara Dam, in partnership with private investors.

The minister said “the 2010 FCT Budget Proposal of the sum of N124, 110 billion looks overambitious when compared with the sum of N66, 650 billion appropriated for the 2009.

“However, this phenomenal increase was necessitated by the increasing responsibilities of the FCTA in order to meet the growing demands of the populace to put in place the required infrastructure to make Abuja a word-class capital city, as well as to actualise the seven-point agenda of Mr. President.”

He disclosed that his predecessor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, had disrupted several contracts he awarded, noting that many of the contracts were awarded without engineering design and proper costing.

According to him, “Because of lack of engineering design and proper costing, it was discovered that contracts variation had to be done. The Federal Executive Council approved variation of 13 such contracts, which are now ongoing.”

Meanwhile, Vice-President Jonathan has said given the persistent challenges of budget implementation in the country over the years, there was the need for ministries, departments and agencies of government to undertake a critical analysis of the process in the last 10 years with a view to highlighting recurrent problems and working out proactive measures to overcome them.

He stated this on Tuesday, when he received members of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), led by its chairman, Mr Sam Ohuabunwa, at State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja .

Dr. Jonathan noted that while current procurement laws had stipulated time frames for the advertisement of projects and their implementation, MDAs could work towards meeting these time frames, if they identified factors that hampered budget implementation process and addressed them promptly.

He said that government was determined to address the basic challenges of budget implementation and urged all stakeholders in the process to be alive to this responsibility, given the fact that any delay on one part constituted a drawback in the entire process.

On the Niger Delta, the vice-president said government was currently focusing on effective management of post-amnesty issues, and urged all Nigerians not to hold back their contributions, irrespective of whether they were in the public or private sectors.
Describing the NESG as a formidable group of policy analysts, Dr. Jonathan urged

them to always forward the resolutions of their summits to government for effective follow up, so that they did not become mere archival materials. He pointed out that government was a part of the NESG through the National Planning Ministry, and assured that a full economic team of government would attend its forthcoming summit.

In his remarks, Minister of Finance, Dr. Mansur Muhtar, said while about 11 MDAs had recorded between 70 and 80 per cent of budget implementation, government was seriously working at fast-tracking the entire process by organising budget implementation workshops for MDAs.

Speaking earlier, Ohuabunwa said the decision of government to grant amnesty to militants in the Niger Delta was a pragmatic approach that had greatly boosted the peace process and helped the nation regain a hitherto lost capacity in oil production. He urged government to sustain the momentum by fully integrating repentant militants into the society and addressing the infrastructural and environmental needs of the region.

He said the highpoint of the forthcoming 15th Annual Nigerian Economic Summit billed for December 15-17, 2009 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, would be a presidential policy dialogue, where the president will present the nation’s economic scorecard and also share the administration’s agenda for Nigeria’s economic development in a live telecast.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/09122009/news/news2.html

It tells you where our priorities lie.

As long as the 400MW from the hydro power plant is pumped into the national grid. There can't be two different laws, one for Abuja and one for the rest of the populace. Since we have chosen mediocrity then mediocrity it is. States are not allowed to generate their power supply for their own consumption, so Abuja should net be allowed to either, let everyone leave in collective darkness and generator fumes, or let everyone be allowed to develop, simple as. Meanwhile, considering that it is Nigerian money being used to build that 5star hospital, it had better be open to every single individal in the country, including those with health insurance.

another legacy of EVIL OBJ years!

snowdrops:

It tells you where our priorities lie.

Like seriously, 3.5 billion? When there are millions of Nigerians that dont have houses to live in, clothes to wear and food to eat. These people that they are building houses for already have their own houses and extra for rent.

When will we change??