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Govt Okays N21.5b Owerri-Elele Road Contract
By Our Reporter
The Federal Executive Council yesterday approved the reconstruction of Owerri-Elele road linking Imo and Rivers States at N21.5billion.
The project, according to the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Ufort Ekaette, is part of the post-amnesty programme aimed at enhancing accessibility and creating employment opportunities.
Also, an additional consultancy service for the project valued at N469.73 million was approved.
Another approval granted by the council is the contract for the rehabilitation Dengi-Jarmai road in Plateau State at N1.45 billion.
The project is to be funded by the Federal Road Maintenance Agency and the Ecological Fund.
Also, approved is the consultancy services contract for the Obiakpo-Obeng gas pipeline at N236.8 million. The contract involves project studies and technical surveys, among other technical supervision duties for the project.
Source: The Nation, 4th March 2010.
Imo Reactivates 40-yr-old Water Scheme
OWERRI—The Imo State Government has reactivated some water schemes that had ceased to function in the last 30 or 40 years. The reactivation was carried out in the last two and half years by the present administration.
Disclosing this in an interview in Owerri, the Commissioner for Public Utilities and Rural Development, Mr. Ralph Nwosu, said the administration reactivated the water schemes despite the current economic meltdown facing the state.
"Some of the water schemes stopped functioning for over 30 years. The one in Nnempi, Oru West Local Government Area is a typical example of such dysfunctional water schemes. We have been able to rehabilitate them and if you go there now, you will see that the people are enjoying the facilities," the Commissioner said.
A new dimension to the rehabilitation, according to Mr. Nwosu was government's decision to make the water projects solar-powered, adding that this would eliminate the problem of erratic public power supply and high cost of running diesel to pump water.
"The solar-powered boreholes are spread across the three senatorial zones of the state. Government has also put these facilities in the care of the communities where they are sited," Nwosu said.
On plans to extend the water schemes to other areas that do not have them, the Commissioner said that government had already worked out a plan where the state government would pay 70 percent of the cost, while the local council and the community would pay 20 and 10 percent respectively.
"The contribution of the communities may not necessarily be cash but by policing these projects located in their respective communities. Government has also set up Water Committees, which will be reporting to the administration if the need arises," Nwosu said.
Source: Vanguard, 24 Feb 2010.
Imo Airport: Minister Threatens Contractor
• As Enugu traffic diverts to Owerri
From Amby Uneze in Owerri
Minister of Aviation, Mr. Babatunde Omotoba, has vowed to use police to arrest the contractor handing the airfield lighting of the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State if the job contracted to him for over eight months ago is not delivered in about four weeks' time to enable 24-hour operation at the airport.
The minister, who spoke on arrival at the airport on an inspection visit to assess the facilities available at the airport due to the shut down of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu for rehabilitation, said Sam Mbakwe Airport was capable of taking the volume of traffic because of the facilities being put on ground.
"If we don't have 24-hour operation here (Sam Mbakwe Airport) in about four weeks from now, I will lock up the contractor –ADP Lighting-because they have been paid since eight months ago. I don't see any reason why they should not have completed the air field lighting by now," he fumed.
Omotoba said apart from the airfield lighting project, there were other projects like the renovation of the terminal building, the construction of the perimeter fencing and the increase in the security equipment at the airport, which will cost about N1 billion.
According to him, the contractor had been paid N200 million since eight months ago out of the total package of about N400 million, but has done nothing.
He noted that the delay in the closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu was due to the Anambra governorship election, adding that if it had been shut down before the election, there would have been difficulty in conducting a free, fair and credible election, which was why it was shut a month behind schedule.
The minister announced that the rehabilitation of Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu would last till January 2011 and as such, Sam Mbakwe Airport would be playing the key role in taking the traffic for the South East and part of South-South people.
In his remarks, the Airport Manager, Mr. Orjiako Mgbemene, told the minister that the Cargo Airport currently hosts four airlines on a daily basis with flight movement increasing from five landing and five take-offs to eight landings and eight take-offs due to the diversion of flights from Enugu.
He commended the minister for his efforts in the building and completion of the NIMET administration office, commencement and completion of the NIMET automatic weather reporting system, which is linked directly to the control tower, the installation of the Global Positioning System (GPS), the installation of new baggage x-ray machines and walk-through metal detectors for the enhancement of security, and the installation of additional water/hydrant in the airport for fire fighting and prevention.
Source: This Day, 23rd Fed 2010.
Imo Gets Naval Base
From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
FOLLOWING persistent clamour by the Imo State government to the Federal Government to site a naval base in Oguta, Imo State, the Federal Government has at last approved the request.
Governor Ikedi Ohakim disclosed this at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri at the weekend on his arrival from Abuja
Also, the Federal Government has agreed to partner the Imo State government to build a Refinery in Ohaji Egbema Local Council of the state.
Ohakim said, a team, led by the Chief of Naval Staff and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) would visit Imo this week to oversee the realisation of the projects.
Ohakim stated that Oguta, the proposed site of the base, is suitable for the project being a riverine area.
He stated that the Federal Government has also approved a N25 billion road project that would traverse Owerri to Rivers State.
The Guardian gathered that the Old Imo State lost its naval base to Owerrinta, present Abia State on its creation in 1991.
Source: The Guardian, 22nd Feb 2010
Imo Govt To Repair Abandoned Water Schemes
Community dissociates self from Anti-Ohakim litigations
From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
THE Imo State Government is in the process of rehabilitating the over 400 abandoned water projects in the state, the Commissioner for Public Utilities and Rural Development, Ralph Nwosu has disclosed.
Giving a score card of his ministry to journalists at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja at the weekend, the commissioner said the process would be through a tripartite arrangement involving the communities, local councils and the state government.
Under the arrangement, he said, the communities would contribute 10 percent, local authorities 20 percent and the state government 70 percent.
He said the essence was to make the water schemes sustainable "because government discovered that most of the water schemes were abandoned due to minor faults hence government decided to involve the communities in the rehabilitation programme."
He disclosed that the government would set up water committees made up of members of the communities where the schemes were located and to ensure the workability of this, "Community Development Officers have been appointed by the ministry in all the 27 local government areas of the state. These officers will work closely with the water committees set up in the communities."
Nwosu further said that the ministry had concluded plans to train artisans in all the communities to assist the water committees. "Apart from working for the communities, these artisans will also earn a living which the state government sees as a means of empowering the youth."
Meanwhile, as political opponents of Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State continue to take him to court on various cases, the people of Ikpe Nsu in Ehime Mbano local council of the state at the weekend dissociated themselves from such litigations.
In a statement read on behalf of the group at Ipke Nsu, the Special Adviser to Ohakim on Protocol / Public Affairs, Chief Bright Nwelue criticized those who have made fortune in fighting the administration of Ohakim, thanking the governor for appointing on of their sons, Nwelue, as his Special Adviser.
Source: The Guardian, 13th Feb 2010.
Imo Assembly Okays Sole Administrators For Councils
From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
BARELY 24 hours after the Imo State government dissolved the 27 councils in the state, the State House of Assembly yesterday ratified the appointment of sole administrators to manage the local councils.
Also the lawmakers okayed the appointment of members of some commissions which included Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC), Imo State House of Assembly Service Commission (IMHASC) and Imo State Oil Mineral Development Commission (ISOPADEC).
According to the statement signed by Cosmos Iwu at the weekend in Owerri, chairmen of the commissions include Robert Asuzu (CSC), Chief Frank Nwokolo, (LGSC) Emma Nwonye, (ISIEC) and ISOPADEC, E. C. Nnani, ISOPAEDC.
Other members include Maxwell Duru and Obiageri Ajoku.
The commissions had been dissolved by the Governor, Ikedi Ohakim following the resolution of the state House of Assembly.
The State House Assembly has passed a bill on the amendment of law 10 of 1970 on the handover of schools to their original owners.
Former lawmaker in the State, Mr. Oliver Enwerenem has faulted the appointment of sole administrators in the state.
Speaking to The Guardian in a related development, at the weekend in Owerri, Enwerenem expressed dismay that for some unsubstantiated reasons, some governors, including Imo State, allegedly continue to evade holding council polls to usher in democratically elected government at the third tier of government.
He called for immediate constitutional amendment to check such practices, and called party leaders to help check such "undemocratic appointments."
Continuing, he said: "Therefore, I am proffering if we must have peace in this country section 144 of the Constitution must be amended otherwise we should go over the system of regional government because it is the most appropriate thing to do.
Source: The Guardian, 6th Feb 2010.
Imo Assembly Okays Councils' Sack
By Chidi Nkwopara
OWERRI—Imo State House of Assembly, in a surprise move, yesterday, unanimously adopted a motion, urging Governor Ikedi Ohakim to immediately sack the transition committees of the 27 local government areas of the state.
The lawmakers, who suspended their vacation to attend the Assembly's special sitting, also urged the executive to use its sledge hammer on the Local Government Service Commission, Imo State Independent Electoral Commission and Civil Service Commission.
The House noted that ISIEC has outlived its usefulness, adding that there was the need to inject fresh mind and hands, who will be charged and constitutionally empowered to organise, undertake and supervise all elections at the local council level in the state.
They explained that their action was in their sincere bid to sanitize governance in the state, as well as make government agencies and commissions result oriented.
Adducing reasons for the sacking of the Civil Service Commission, CSC, the chief sponsor, Nze Ray Emeana, said the establishment was bedeviled with indiscipline and had become chaotic as a result of the Commission's inability to control and regulate its staff.
"Governor Ohakim's promise to provide 10,000 graduate jobs in the civil service in the first quarter of this year demands that the present chairman and members of CSC be removed and replaced with viable persons," Emeana said.
On why the transition committees must go, Chief Simeon Iwunze, representing Isiala Mbano, alleged improper conduct, stressing that the operators of the local councils were no longer useful in the system.
"The excesses of the council chairmen prompted the call for the removal of the transition committees, as well as the removal of the chairman and members of the Local Government Service Commission for their inefficiency and inability to control the councils," Iwunze said.
It was his opinion that there was no need to improve the local councils without addressing the pitfalls in the Local Government Service Commission.
Source: Vanguard, 2nd Feb 2010.
Imo Begins Lands Recertification
From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
THE Imo State Government at the weekend threatened to revoke any land in the state if its owner fails to recertify it before June 30.
Briefing journalists in Owerri, the state Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Levi Oguike, said the programme handled by the Imo Geographic Information Service (IGIS) would charge any land owner who already has his or her Certificate of Occupation (C of O) N20,000, adding that it would take between 15 and 20 minutes to electronically process it in a "digital database and electronic lands and deeds registry."
He said: "All title documents not recertified before or by the 30th June 2010, shall cease to be valid for land transactions in the state and by implication shall become of no value as an instrument for land transactions. Special windows shall be created for banks to re-certify land instruments in their possession and pay the necessary fees."
Bank PHB, he said, has been empowered by the state government to handle the transaction.
On why the fee was pegged at N20,000, he said much was expended by the state government to purchase the equipment and others.
Source: The Guardian, 14th January 2010.
Imo Students to Present Tax Certificates for Admission
From Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
IMO State government has directed that all students returning to school this year must present their parents/guardians' electronic tax clearance certificate (ETCC) before they are allowed to register and participate in studies, Special Adviser to Governor Ikedi Ohakim on Revenue Generation, Mobilisation and Accounts Monitoring, Kirian Onwuzurike, has disclosed.
Briefing journalists in Owerri, the state capital, at the weekend on the state of revenue and achievements of his department, Onwuzurike said the measure was put in place to ensure that every taxable adult in the state lived up to his or her civic responsibility.
He added that all returning students must present the evidence of tax payment by their parents to school authorities before they would be allowed to study.
"It is our obligation. It is our responsibility", he said.
He disclosed that the state government was targeting N17 billion monthly revenue from the current over N430 million.
On the relationship between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials on the remittance of N300 million owed the state, which culminated in the forced closure of the branch at the stance of the state government's directive, Onwuzuruike said the CBN official had paid N40 million out of the outstanding sum to the state government.
On efforts of the local councils in the state to collect revenue, he urged the officials to only collect according to the specifications of the state government and provisions of the law.
Source: The Guardian, 14th January 2010.
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