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Lagos-Calabar coastal road project to cost ₦4bn per kilometre

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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. [Abiodun Bello/X]

The construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway has started from Victoria Island in Lagos.

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.

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Senate confirms Oyedele as minister

During the screening, Oyedele proffered solutions to getting out of the various economic issues in the country.

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The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance.

His confirmation comes after two hours of screening as lawmakers grilled him on various aspects of the economy.

Oyedele’s screening followed a motion moved by Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate leader, after he called for the suspension of the Senate rule to allow strangers to come into the chamber.

During the screening, Oyedele proffered solutions to getting out of the various economic issues in the country.

Oyedele was escorted to the chamber by Bashir Lado, the Special Adviser to the President on the National Assembly ( Senate), alongside others.

His screening followed President Bola Tinubu’s letter to the Senate on Tuesday, requesting his confirmation as a minister.

Tinubu had, on March 3, nominated Oyedele, who currently serves as chairman of the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, as Minister of State for Finance.

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Tinubu appoints Lamido Yuguda as CBN’s Deputy Governor

Lamido Yuguda’s last public post was as director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a position he held from 2020 to 2024.

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PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Lamido Abubakar Yuguda as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)

The appointment is in accordance with Section 8(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.

The President charges Yuguda to discharge his responsibilities with renewed dedication, professionalism, and commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and growth.

Lamido Yuguda’s last public post was as director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a position he held from 2020 to 2024.

He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, where he graduated in 1983 with a B.Sc. in Accountancy.

In 1991, he obtained a master’s degree in Money, Banking and Finance from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a CFA charterholder.

He began his career in 1984 at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a Senior Supervisor in the Foreign Operations Department.

He also worked as an economist in the Africa Department of the International Monetary Fund from 1997 to 2001, when he returned to the CBN.

He retired from the CBN in 2016, after he had served as Director of the Reserve Management Department for six years.

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JUST IN: IGP Disu Assigns Portfolios to New DIGs

DIG Zachariah Fera Achinyan has been deployed to Legal Services, DIG Zango Ibrahim Baba to Research and Planning, and DIG Isyaku Mohammed to Training and Development departments.

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu has assigned the new Deputy Inspectors -General of Police (DIGs) their duties responsibilities.

Sources said that the DIGs were assigned departments based on their areas of competence.

DIG Zachariah Fera Achinyan has been deployed to Legal Services,

DIG Zango Ibrahim Baba to Research and Planning, and DIG Isyaku Mohammed to Training and Development departments.

Similarly, DIG Margaret Agebe Ochalla has been posted to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID);

DIG Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman to Finance and Accounts; DIG Kenechukwu Onwuemelie will oversee the Force Intelligence Department (FID); DIG Fayoade Adegoke will head Information and Communication Technology, while DIG Umar Shehu Nadada has been posted to Operations departments.

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