STELLA ODUAH'S AIRPORTS REMODELING SAGA: LEGISLATORS ACCUSED OF INFLATING THE CONTRACT BY N26 BILLION

Stella Oduah, Aviation former minister who had been accused of stealing and misappropriating of tax-payers money in her efforts to remodel the Nigerian airports across the federation, may not be the only one to blame. According to recent finding, the Senate was accused of inflating the Airports Remodeling contract by N26 Billion.

There is actually more than meets the eye in the remodeling claims and counter claims as it would be recalled that the committees on Aviation of the National Assembly alleged that debts incurred by the Ministry of Aviation in the course of terminal remodeling and building of perishable cargo terminals came to a whooping N174bn.

On two different occasions the senate committee on aviation and their House Representatives counterparts came down heavily on the ministry of aviation and the various agencies over issues of debts (about N174 billion) owed to contractors and large scale fraud believed to have been committed under the airport remodeling programme.

It is on note that Senator Hope Uzodinma had observed that “This is not within the budget; they did not carry us along and that is why it is not in the budget. We queried how they over-committed government without prior approval.” He also added further that his committee is not disposed to abandoning the projects (debts), but another plan that would give all the parties involved a kind of soft landing. He hinted that a committee will be set by the aviation ministry to look at those projects and then re-prioritize them. He then accused the former minster, Princess Stella Oduah, and the ministry of aviation of not “allowing the National Assembly to play its own role.”

More so, the issue of the $500 million loan from China, which was taken for the construction of four new international airport terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano, shocked the senators as that despite the existence of the loan, the ministry still went ahead to incur huge debts.

“The federal government through the ministry of aviation also had a counterpart funding responsibility of $100 million. That I am aware of and all the projects have no reason not to be completed within the record time,” Senator Uzodinma said.

Meanwhile in a twist, a new report emerged stating that the debt which was incurred due to the airports remodeling projects may have been inflated by N26 billion.

The Senate Committee on Aviation had stated that the debt incurred by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was N174 billion, disclosing that funds for the projects were released in three tranches as the contract for the projects are also in three phases.

However, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) explained how the money was disbursed to the contractors, the actual amount for the project and the debt. FAAN in its defence in a document explained that the “debts accruing from the remodeling of airport projects was inflated by N26bn from the actual debts of N148bn to N174bn. It added that “the projects were in three phases. The contract value of phase one is N12.81bn, total amount already paid is N11.22bn, while there is still an outstanding balance of N1.58bn.

“For the phase two, the contract value is put at N93.43bn, while the total amount disbursed to the contractors is N53.97bn, leaving a balance of the N39.50bn. The third phase of the projects, which is still at infant stage, has contract value of N63.02bn with N4.21bn as total amount already paid, while N58.81bn is outstanding. “The sub-total of the debts therefore is N99.85bn, which when added to the debts already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at N48.37bn brings total outstanding debts to N148.23bn. This amount from FAAN differs from the N174bn that was declared by the Senate Committee on aviation by about N26bn,” FAAN claimed.

CRIME: A DAY OLD BABY GIRL SOLD FOR N20,000 IN YENAGOA

A commercial sex worker in Bayelsa State, alleged to have sold her day old baby girl for N20,000 in Ovom, Yenagoa. Bayelsa state.
According to a Police source, the child, a day old, was sold to a family in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

It was learnt that the commercial sex worker operates around the popular red light zone of Ovom along the D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha area, in the state capital.
Bayelsa State Police Command, spokesman, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the incident, saying investigation into the incident traced the family involved in the unholy sale to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Akhigbe said: “Though the details of the investigation are sketchy, the special unit of the police is on its way to effect the recovery of the baby and arrest the family that bought the child.”

MONEY: THREE SUSPECTED GUN RUNNERS ARRESTED IN NSUKKA

It is just a pity that while some parents were counting their lost in term of lives and properties suffered in the hand of Boko Haram members, certain Nigerian are smiling to their various banks with blood money.

According to Desert Herald, three suspected gun runners of Igbo origin, who were heading to the North from Imo State, were intercepted in Nsukka, Enugu State, by officers and men of the Nigerian Army while travelling in a bus. Items recovered from them include 40 AK47 magazines, 4 boxes of AK47 live ammunition, 100 pieces of live cartridges, one piece of Denim Mopol khaki and charms concealed in a cap.

One of the army officers who spoke to reporters under anonymity disclosed that a police corporal serving in Imo State Police Command was also involved in the arms running.

He said: “When we asked the occupants of the vehicle to come down, we discovered a police corporal in uniform among them. The corporal on getting down pretended to be pressed; he later ran away.

Source: Desert Herald

OBITUARY: RILWAN LUKMAN IS DEAD

Rilwanu Lukman is dead. The former Minister of Petroleum died in Austria.He was 76 years old.

Rilwanu Lukman is a Nigerian engineer who held several ministerial positions in the Nigerian Federal government before becoming Secretary General of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2000.

Lukman was born in Zaria, Kaduna State on 26 August 1938. He attended College of Arts, Science, and Technology, Zaria (now Ahmadu Bello University), and then at Imperial College, London.

He earned a higher degree in mining engineering from the University of Mining and Metallurgy in Leoben, Austria (1967–1968).

He obtained a degree in Mineral Economics from McGill University, Montreal in 1978, and an honorary doctorate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bologna in Italy.

His first job in the mining industry was as an Assistant Mining Engineer with A B Statsgruvor of Sweden (1962–1964).

MAJEMU AMERICA (AMERICA COVENANT) WILL BE PREMIERE IN DALLAS TEXAS ON AUGUST 2ND,2014

The Penguin All English dictionary defines Covenant (n) as ‘solemn mutual agreement or undertaking’’ Majemu America (American Covenant) , the film written and directed by Murphy Afolali, Tai Balogun and Rasaki Ajao  is a story of love betrayal and destiny ,featuring  top Nigerian acts including: Saidi Balogun, Dele Odule, Murphy Afolabi, Rasak Ajao [araosan] Ola Ogunkoya, Esther Nwafor ,Eniola Badmus and so on

This film will be premier In Texas, United States of America on Saturday 2^nd August, 2014. Also, Double’ O’ Productions dance group will be performing live, stand up comedy by,  Don Manuel [naijamericana). Red carpet will commence by 5.00pm and After Party at Lolas Lounge, Irving Texas. Tickets are available @ Asafo Market , Kemis Kitchen, Lolas Lounge, Yemsade Restaurant and Yembo Kitchen or call 7187091748 or http://www.eventbrite.com/e/majemu-america-tickets-12145556687

CRIME: TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED WITH THE CORPSE OF 2-YEAR OLD GIRL IN ABIA

Two suspects Jonathan Nwogu and Chibuike Anubuife were on Wednesday arrested by the Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC with the corpse of a two-year-old girl.

The suspects were caught at Enyimba filling station near Ariaria International, Aba while trying to take the girl’s corpse in a sack for burial.

Andy Dateer, the state commandant of the NSCDC said: “It was a very sad day for the command.”
According to him, his men on a routine patrol caught two men in possession of a corpse of a girl of about two years old in a sack. He said his men were attracted to the scene following a quarrel between them and a man who would have conveyed them to the scene in his car.
“As people started gathering, the owner of the car zoomed off and my men arrested the two suspects,” he said.

“If they had not been saved by his men the public would have lynched them and the society would not be able to know the mystery behind their act,” he said.

 Chibuike Anubuife , one of the suspect said he saw the other man for the first time and he asked him to help him bury the dead girl, and  said that he was still discussing the logistics for the burial of the girl before the men of the NSCDC arrested them. while the other suspect, Jonathan Nwogu said a man approached him to help him bury the girl.

NOLLYWOOD: INCESSANT DEMAND FOR S*X MAKES ME STOPPED ACTING...INE AJU

 “I stopped acting as a result of incessant demand for s*x by the producers before you can be given a role in a movie. That was how Ine Aju put it. The practice was becoming unbearable for me, coupled with the fact that singing is much more rewarding than acting.

The Cross River State-born actress-turned-singer, Ine Aju, has been explaining to whoever cares to listen why she dumped acting for music. The talented singer said, “I still love acting and there is possibilities that I will hit the movie set again. But for now, I want to concentrate on my music

 I can still act if I get good roles. I am not saying that s*x is not good but definitely not using it as an exchange for a role. In fact, s*x to me is the sweetest thing that could ever happen to anyone especially, when you have it with the right person.     

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