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Umahi commends Nigeria NLG mgt for commitment to tripartite agreement on completion of Bodio-Bonny road in River State
The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has commended Nigeria NLG Limited for its commitment to funding the completion of the Bodo-Bonny Federal road in Rivers State in line with the tripartite agreement with Federal Government and Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
The Minister also hailed the company for indicating interest to connect the road to East West Road to maximize the economic potentials of the area.
Engr. Umahi made this commendations when the management of Nigeria NLG Ltd led by its MD/ CEO ,Dr Philip Mshelbilla, visited him in his office at Federal Ministry of Works Headquarters,Mabushi Abuja on 11th December,2023.
According to a statement signed by Hon. Uchenna Orji, Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Umahi further commended them for putting the interest of Nigeria first in their contractual negotiations and for keying into the innovations and ideals of the Renewed Hope Administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with respect to quality, innovations, cost effectiveness and timely completion of road projects embarked upon by Federal Government.
The Minister said- “Thank you very much. When I see Nigerians that are standing for the country, I feel very excited because Nigeria is our only country. We can’t mortgage the country; we can’t sell the country.
“I saw your letter with regard to requests by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the contractor, to increase the contract sum. And you and your board together with your team vehemently stood against that. That gave me some teeth to bite because I saw a commitment by all parties that this project will not increase beyond the augmented amount of 199,000,000,000.
So, I want to commend you for that.”
The Hon. Minister enjoined Julius Berger to respect the spirit and letters of the tripartite agreement and go back to site, assuring that Federal Government would offer compassionate considerations on the remaining 16% uncompleted job without necessarily expanding the contract envelope.
“I discovered by the letters of JB that they have abandoned the site, and that’s against the contract they signed, even if they needed to leave the site, the general conditions of contract specify the procedures for notices in such a circumstance
“Well, we have discussed with them and I said, we are going to look at the remaining 16% on a compassionate ground, and see whether there is any merit, and we can see if there is any money left in the contingency, but definitely will not expand the envelope.
“Expanding the envelope means you are going back to your Board. Expanding the envelope means my going back to Federal Inland Revenue, going back to BPP, going back to Mr. President, going back to Federal Executive Council. So it’s a long journey, and that will not allow that project to be completed as planned,” the Minister maintained.
Speaking on behalf of the management of Nigeria NLG Ltd, the MD/CEO reiterated the vision of the company in not only building a globally competitive LNG company but also in contributing towards building a better Nigeria by delivering quality infrastructure through projects such as the Bobo-Bonny road being funded by NLNG.
He assured that everything possible would be done to complete the road on time as provided under the agreement bearing in mind the concerns of the contractor handling the project.
“With regards to coming back to the Bonny Bodo road, we see two parts to it, the main road itself. We are really looking forward to that being completed on time. We have had commitments in the past from the contractor around its completion and we do understand that there are concerns around what is happening in the economy now,” he said and thanked the Hon. Minister of Works for his commitment to road infrastructure revolution and expressed hope that the economy of Nigeria would bounce back with the manifest determination of President Tinubu’s administration in fixing the critical infrastructure for the growth of our economy. He assured the Hon. Minister of the readiness of the company to partner with Federal Government always in her developmental efforts.
“We have indicated an interest to pursue the extension of that road from Bodo so that it connects to the East West Road. That way you then have a complete corridor of major roads connecting to East West Road, rather than ending in Bodo.
“In summary, just to thank the Minister again, your commitment to projects like this across the country will indeed make a huge difference to the common man, to transportation of people, farmers who need to move their products.”
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the reinstatement of 23 health workers previously suspended for absence from their duty posts at Gwoza General Hospital.
This decision was announced during the Governor’s inspection of the hospital’s newly renovated maternity and child center, as well as other ongoing projects.
Dauda Iliya, Spokesperson and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, in a statement Tuesday, said the health workers had initially been suspended after Zulum’s earlier visit, where he found them absent from their duties.
Addressing the staff, Governor Zulum emphasized the importance of dedication to work and assured them of improved working conditions and other incentives.
“Complaints were made about the 23 medical workers who were absent during my last visit,” he noted. “No one is perfect, so the government has pardoned them, although no arrears will be paid.”
In response to a staff shortage raised by the Principal Medical Officer of Gwoza General Hospital, Dr Nuhu Nasiru Wakawa, Governor Zulum directed the immediate deployment of four additional doctors and ten nurses to the facility.
He further announced that Gwoza General Hospital will be upgraded to support training for nursing students from the new school of nursing under construction.
“The Commissioner of Health, together with the Chief Medical Director of the Hospitals Management Board, will work on this deployment,” Zulum added. “We will also recruit community health workers from Gwoza to strengthen local healthcare services.”
In addition to his healthcare initiatives, Governor Zulum inspected the crusher plant base under construction in Pulka, which will produce up to 300 tonnes of stones per hour.
He said the completion of the crushing and asphalt plants is expected to facilitate new road networks across Borno State.
The Governor also visited other development sites, including the 500-unit mass housing project in Wala B, Gwoza Local Government Area, and a proposed site for a high Islamic school in Bama, underscoring his administration’s commitment to infrastructure and educational advancement.
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has secured an agreement with Dangote Refinery to lift products directly.
IPMAN’s National President, Abubakar Garima, announced this at an ongoing press briefing on Monday in Abuja, following a meeting of the National Working Committee of the Association.
He said the partnership would ensure a steady, affordable supply of PMS products nationwide.
“After meeting with Aliko Dangote and his management team in Lagos, we are pleased to announce that Dangote Refinery has agreed to supply IPMAN with PMS, AGO, and DPK directly for distribution to our depots and retail outlets.”
Garima urged IPMAN members to support Dangote Refinery, citing the benefits of backward integration and its positive impact on Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.
“IPMAN members should rely on Dangote Refinery and Nigerian refineries for white products, creating more job opportunities and supporting President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.”
The latest development concludes several months of negotiations between both parties and is expected to increase efficiency, affordability, and economic growth.
The Dangote Refinery, the largest in Africa and Europe, has already commenced the production of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel, with plans to supply products to over 30,000 IPMAN members and 150,000 retail outlets nationwide.
Vandals have destroyed three towers and stole two spans of aluminum conductors along the Lokoja-Gwagwalada electricity transmission line.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported the development a statement, saying the attack has disrupted bulk power transmission in the affected area.
Despite the damage, the company confirmed that power supply continues through a secondary line, as it works to replace the stolen materials.
TCN expressed growing concern over the escalating vandalism of power infrastructure, which it said is threatening the stability and expansion of Nigeria’s national grid.
The company urged local communities to cooperate with security forces in safeguarding transmission lines and towers to prevent further damage to the country’s power network.
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