The Federal Government has directed that work should stop on the 12km Sagamu-Iperu Road by the Sagamu Interchange on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, gave the directive on Thursday during an inspection tour of road projects in Lagos and Ogun states.

He expressed displeasure at the quality and speed of work on the road.

He gave a seven-day period to the contractor handling the project to remedy the situation and remove the stone base.

Umahi also directed the contractor to bring in the right milling machine and the right mixture of stone base.

He also directed the contractor to speed up the work.

The minister said that the contractor had all the ramps and retaining walls on some bridges.

He added that some piers on some of the bridges had rusted rods.

“That is very dangerous. I am giving seven days, I am leaving behind the design head so that they can work till Sunday to come up with a comprehensive drawing and then costing so that I can appeal to Mr President.

“This is very urgent. If any of them should collapse, it will take multi-billion Naira to get them reconstructed, but now it will take less to get them amended.”

NAN

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration have requested a 90-day extension from a United States District Court to produce documents relating to an alleged drug investigation involving President Bola Tinubu dating back to the 1990s.

The request was submitted on Thursday in a joint status report filed with the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

The case stems from a series of Freedom of Information Act requests by an American legal transparency advocate and founder of the platform PlainSite, Aaron Greenspan.

Greenspan is seeking the release of records connected to a Chicago-based drug ring and has named Tinubu along with three other individuals: Lee Andrew Edwards, Mueez Abegboyega Akande, and Abiodun Agbele.

The court, presided over by Judge Beryl Howell, had earlier ordered the FBI and DEA to provide a status update on the search and release of non-exempt documents by May 2, 2025.

However, in the latest filing, both agencies said they needed more time to complete their searches.

The report reads, “Aaron Greenspan (“Plaintiff”) and Defendants Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the only remaining defendants in this case, respectfully submit the following joint status report proposing a schedule to govern further proceedings, pursuant to the Court’s Order of April 8, 2025 (ECF No. 47).

“Pursuant to the court’s order, the defendants, FBI and DEA must search for and produce non-exempt records responsive to the plaintiff’s FOIA requests (FBI Requests Nos. 1588244-000 and 1593615- 000, and DEA Request Nos. 22-00892-F and 24-00201-F).

“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by the plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days.

”Greenspan opposed the delay, arguing that the agencies had already delayed the process for years and that some documents had already been identified.He proposed a much shorter deadline.

“Given the years-long delay already caused by the defendants and the fact that many responsive documents have already been identified, the plaintiff proposes that the FBI and DEA complete their searches and productions by next week, or, at the very least, produce unredacted versions of the already-identified documents by next week, with the remainder completed in 14 days.

The defendants provide no rationale for why their search for documents should take 90 days.

“The FBI and DEA have initiated their searches for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable portions of records requested by the plaintiff and anticipate completing their searches in ninety days,” Greenspan said.

The FOIA requests, filed between 2022 and 2023, sought records from multiple federal agencies.

Initially, the FBI and DEA issued “Glomar responses,” refusing to confirm or deny the existence of relevant records.

The court later deemed this response inappropriate, ordering the agencies to proceed with full or partial disclosures where applicable.

Greenspan is also seeking reimbursement of $440.22 in filing and mailing costs.

The two sides remain at odds over when the next joint status report should be filed.

While the agencies proposed July 31, Greenspan urged the court to set the deadline for May 31, 2025.

“The plaintiff intends to request reimbursement for his costs: the filing fee of $402.00 and $38.22 for certified mail postage, totalling $440.22.

“The defendants propose that the parties submit a joint status report on or before July 31, 2025 to update the Court on the case status following the agencies’ search for responsive, non-exempt, reasonably segregable records requested by the plaintiff.

The plaintiff proposes that they submit a joint status report on or before May 31, 2025,” the report added.

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has approved another one year tax holiday for the state work force in addition to the one year tax relief earlier approved last Year.

Governor Ododo made the pronouncement on Thursday at the Muhammadu Buhari Civic Center, Lokoja to mark the twenty twenty five May Day celebration.

The Governor said the one year tax moratorium was in addition to the one year earlier approved on approval and implementation of the new national minimum wage to cushion the harsh economic effects facing workers.

Additionally, the Governor also approved an extension of retirement age of health professionals from Sixty to sixty five years or thirty five to forty years as length of service.

Also, Governor Ododo approved the immediate provision of potable water for the Comrade Onuh Edoka Labour House for the use of the workers and the residents in the environs.

He acknowledged the contributions of the workers to the development of Kogi State, saying that a responsive government would accord priority to the welfare of workers, explaining however that the enormous demands of the organized Labour could not be met at once due to economic difficulties.

Governor Ododo assured that his administration would continue to accord necessary attention to the welfare of workers who serve as engine room of government, emphasizing that Pensioners will also be carried along as well.as education and youth and women empowerment among others.

“Our three state owned Universities are thriving and progressing steadily, and we are happy that they have met the necessary standards and will produce manpower that will compete favourably with their counterparts across the world and our assignment is to serve humanity”, the Governor stated.

The Governor also disclosed that government has been consistent in the release of one hundred and five million naira monthly as gratuity to local government retirees, this he said, was to keep his promises to the people.

Earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Gabriel Amari expressed appreciation to the Governor for the much he has done so far, saying the organized Labour was grateful, but however urged the government to look critically into their demands with a view to giving workers more hope.

The State Head of Service, Doctor Elijah Evinemi in his speech, noted that the present administration has placed workers welfare at the front burner and urged workers to reciprocate the gesture by being dedicated to their duties.

In his speech, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour matters, Comrade Onuh Edoka said Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo was the first to approve and implement the new national minimum wage which has been acknowledged by the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in the Country.

Comrade Edoka commended the Governor for his courage at appointing labour leaders into key positions under his administration and assured that workers would reciprocate at the right time,