News
Lagos-Calabar coastal road project to cost ₦4bn per kilometre
Umahi says the current design of the road under construction is different from its original design which was eight lanes without train tracks.
The construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway has started from Victoria Island in Lagos.
David Umahi, the Minister of Works has disclosed that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar highway would cost ₦4bn per km.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had earlier criticised the project, alleging that the Federal Government planned to spend ₦8bn on each kilometre of the 700 km road project.
Atiku also raised questions on why President Bola Tinubu awarded the contract to his ally, Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without competitive bidding.
Reacting to this, Umahi in a statement on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, said Atiku lacked an understanding of figures, adding that he found the ex-VP’s comment degrading.
Also, while appearing as a guest on the Television Continental on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, the minister dismissed Atiku’s claim on the cost of the project.
He explained that the current design of the road under construction is different from its original design which according to him was eight lanes without train tracks.
“The coastal road we are constructing has a total of 10 lanes, you know, not only that it has a total of 10 lanes, it also have what we called shoulders. And the total shoulders can be put at about 23 metres. So when you put the total concrete pavement we are doing, it’s about 59 metres. When you put the total flexible pavement that he quoted it’s about 23 metres,” Umahi said.
“And so when you run the figures, you now find out that under his calculation, it is giving you about over ₦19bn per kilometre. Now if you divide it by the 23 kilometres that they are doing, it is about 2.225 times a standard superhighway carriageway, which is ₦11.55bn. Whereas what we are doing, if you divide it, you get ₦5.167bn, So when you now divide using our 1.067, you get about ₦4bn/km.
“If you go back to what he has quoted, you will get over ₦8bn. So using concrete, which should be more expensive because of the kind of terrain we have, and using flexible pavement, which shouldn’t stand the coastal route, you will find out that our cost is ₦4bn instead of the ₦8bn claimed by the former vice president.”
The former Governor of Ebonyi State disclosed that Hitech Construction would fund the project under the Public-Private Partnership model.
News
Bamanga Tukur, former Adamawa gov, ex-PDP Chair dies at 90
Tukur, who died three days before his 91st birthday, was one of the prominent political figures whose career cut across Nigeria’s military and civilian administrations, the private sector and continental business circles.
BAMANGA Tukur, former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and former governor of Gongola (now Adamawa)State, is dead, aged 90.
Family’s sources confirmed his death on Saturday, although details surrounding his passing were not immediately made public.
Tukur, who died three days before his 91st birthday, was one of the prominent political figures whose career cut across Nigeria’s military and civilian administrations, the private sector and continental business circles.
Born on September 15, 1935, he began his public service career at the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, where he served as General Manager from 1975 to 1982.
He moved into elective politics and won the Gongola State governorship election in 1983, but his tenure was cut short by the military coup in December of the same year.After leaving office, Tukur turned to business and founded BHI Holdings, popularly known as the DADDO Group of Companies.
He later returned to government as Minister of Industries between 1993 and 1995 under the military administration of General Sani Abacha.Tukur also played prominent roles in African business and economic affairs, serving as Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group.
He held advisory positions with several international trade organisations.
In March 2012, he returned to partisan politics when he was elected National Chairman of the PDP with the backing of then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
His tenure, however, was overshadowed by prolonged internal disagreements within the party, culminating in his resignation as national chairman in January 2014.
News
Albert Horsfall, Ex-SSS Director-General dies
“Details of funeral arrangements and other related activities will be communicated in due course.”
A former Director-General of the State Security Service and pioneer Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Albert Horsfall, has passed on.
Horsfall’s death was announced in a statement released on Friday, signed by his son, Donald Horsfall, and obtained by our correspondent.
According to the statement, the transition of the elder statesman and great son of Rivers State occurred peacefully, describing him as a “beloved patriarch.”
While the family mourns his death, the statement said they would be comforted by the extraordinary life he lived and the indelible mark he left on the sands of time.
“Details of funeral arrangements and other related activities will be communicated in due course,” it added.
News
US delivers military equipment to Nigeria
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM), in a statement on its website on Thursday, said the equipment was delivered in September through a US Air Force C-17 aircraft.
The United States has delivered military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force in Lagos and Kainji, Niger State, to support counterterrorism operations.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM), in a statement on its website on Thursday, said the equipment was delivered in September through a US Air Force C-17 aircraft.
According to the command, the delivery was part of a foreign military sales agreement between the United States and Nigerian militaries.
“The delivery furthers the strategic partnership between the two nations in order to enhance Nigerian-led efforts to counter terrorism in the region.
U.S. military support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria is by its invitation and rooted in respect for Nigerian sovereignty,” AFRICOM said.
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