Featured

FG to hold last meeting FEC on Monday

Published

6 years ago

May 17, 2019

FG to hold last meeting FEC on Monday

The last meeting for the current Federal Executive Council (FEC) has been slated for Monday 20th, May 2019, it was learnt.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to dissolve the cabinet ahead of the 29th May 2019 swearing in ceremony.

Buhari’s first term also ends on the same day.

Already, 22nd May 2019 has been scheduled for the valedictory session for the cabinet.

This was disclosed at the end of the Thursday extra-ordinary FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the absence of the President, who is in Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj.

Briefing State House Correspondent at the end of the meeting which went into the night, Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, accompanied by his counterparts in Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammed Bello, said the council approved N1.8 billion for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of buildings of railway village in Agbor, Delta.

He also revealed that the sum of N743 million was approved for the procurement of security and safety deficiencies as well as incidence laboratory for Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

He said the total sum for the procurement included taxes with a completion period of 12 months.

Sirika also said council approved the contract for the procurement of pavement marking machines was also approved by the council at the cost of N391.8 million.

“This is a visual aid for pilots for safe operations around our airports,” he said.

Another approval granted by the council according to the minister, is the sum of €1.1 million, for the purchase of a total radar coverage track on system reconditioning.

He said: “This contract went to the manufacturer of the equipment for 1, 187, 960, 000 Euros, equivalent to N414, 543, 760.23 excluding taxes and it’s for seven months completion.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said the council approved six contracts worth N2.6 billion for the FCT.

“The FCT got approval for the award of contract for the construction and equipping of materials testing laboratory in Abuja and that contract is in the sum of N616, 278, 844.19 with a completion period of five months.

“That laboratory already is under construction, so basically it is just to equip the laboratory and is going to test all the items that go into the construction of roads and buildings,” he said.

Bello further said cabinet approved another contract for a temporary access road in the central area of the territory.

“The second contract was for the provision of an access road to link very key anterior roads in the Central Business District that is Ahmadu Bello Way and Sani Abacha Way, all in the FCT, in the sum of N670, 347, 909 with a completion period of six months.

“The third memo was for the award of contract for the design of engineering and solid waste treatment plant and transfer stations in the FCT, a consultancy project awarded in the sum of N473, 798, 934, to be completed in 12 months.

“These transfer stations are meant to serve the waste management value chain so that before you get to the final dump site, solid waste is separated according to the various grades and that makes it easier for recycling.

”As you know now we have what is called waste to wealth and that will create a very important economic system for people who will invest in it,” he said.

He said another contract awarded for the FCT was that of engineering design of expandable main sewage treatment plant at Kango and Associated Trunk lines at the cost of N511, 528, 689.

The FCT also got approval for the final design of engineering infrastructure and production of tender documents at the cost of N202, 410, 378.45.

He stated that another N143.7million was approved for the final engineering design of infrastructure and production of another tender document for Sector Centres E and F in phase 111 of FCC, Abuja.

Mohammed disclosed that N1,081,345,163.45 was approved by the council for the construction of School of Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State.

He said council also approved consultancy for a capacity development programme for teachers that would handle special needs and disability education.

“The contract was given to a consultant at the cost of N338,281,250 with a completion period of four weeks.

“This will actually entail training 18 teachers from each state of the federation to handle students with special needs and disability,” he said.

The Nation.

Share on Facebook

Featured

Dikko And The New Vision Accountability and Development in Sports

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Felly Mammah N.

Since the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko assumed office on the 30th of October, 2024, he has systematically and deliberately been putting in place structures that would result to proper development of sports in Nigeria. Shortly after he was first appointed by President Bola Tinubu as a leading strength of sports, the Director General (DG), Hon. Bukola Olapade was appointed to compliment his efforts.

Many sports analysts believe that the duo of Dikko and Olapade who have been very visible in sports administration will be one of the best combination to take the sports sector to the next level. The DG no doubt, is the head of administration in the Commission, but it should be noted that the financial enablement to manage the affairs of staff and the political might that shops for the finance needed in the running of the sector rest on the Chairman who has the task of liaising with the President directly.

It is also, worthy to note that there is a huge difference between the administration of in the Civil Service as it is controlled by a Permanent Secretary and Directors while the administration of a Commission involves Board Members and experts whose voices and actions are also, game-changing; more so as Commissioners are likely going to take charge of the different zones to proffer solutions for a way forward. The defunct Ministry of Youths and Sports Development which later in 2023 metamorphosed into the Ministry of Sports Development on the assumption of President Bola Tinubu, produced a minister who was not versed in sports administration and as a result, faced mass criticism especially from men of the media.

These men of the pen profession are the torchlight of global sporting activity; they equally keep the history of both sports participation globally as well as the records of athletes’ performances. Their torchlight on past Minister’s and particularly the recent past, have revealed that most of the people who presided over sports administration do not really have any knowledge of the sector before their appointment.

The exit of the immediate past Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh, refreshingly paved the way for change and this has brought in sports personnels that are expected to place sporting activities in the digital world. Suffice it to also, say that the new management of Sports Commission in parts of her changes is expected to sanitize athletes’ attitude and character for better reflection of children who have seen and communicated with their peers in the Western world.

However, the clarion call for President Tinubu to remove politics in sports may have changed the leadership of sports going by what many sports fans saw in the last outing of both Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, where a country like Nigeria did not measure up to her potentials.

Despite the poor performance of atheletes during the World Olympics Games, the past immediate past Minister deserves to be commended that during his tenure, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games was reawakened as the participation of our Super Eagles brought back hope and jubilation to sports fans including the President and higher authorities. Yes whopping sum of N12 Billion was released two weeks to the Olympics Games and at a time the country was not financially stable. Despite the presidential financial support, the medals presented to the country were crisis and ignorant of both the atheletes, Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Atheletic Federaton to do the needful.

Therefore, it is heart-warming that the President harkened to the appeal of his fellow sports lovers to handpick a known figure in the sports arena to share his wealth of experience that gave him both a name in Sports and positions as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Chairman League Management Company (LMC), FIFA match Commissioner of significance, 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and presently, CAF Committee Member, in addition to his new portfolio as Chairman NSC.

My reference point here is that Alh. Dikko has been given the authority to effect positive change in sports sector, co-ordinate over 40 Sports Federations in the sector, welcome ideas of both sports stakeholders, individuals and veterans of sports that will enable him x-ray the reasons for poor performances in the sector and to chat a way forward for success story. There can never be a new testament without an old testament, thus the reason Alh. Dikko’s doors have remained opened to receive courtesy calls that included the visits by past administrators and foreigners who want to facilitate with whom the cap fits.

Still, in the mood of celebration to formally welcome Alh. Dikko to office was the peculiar power of sports which gathered momentum and the crowd for happy moments as seen in the recent novelty match organized by his friends, associates and sports veterans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja recently. That gathering clearly announced not just a man who has made a name for himself at a height in global political decision making in sports circle, but a man who has also, given voice to our country’s leagues and international activities.

Sports is a significant sector that comprises emotion, tension, happiness, sadness even death and hope irrespective of the fact that it has the potential to feed many mouths. The sector cannot be compared to other Ministries with delayed bureaucracies and frustration of abilities. While in the civil service the head will rather submerge a growing talent for fear of power thrown, a coach who discovers a talent takes the credit for showcasing a star athelete discovered. Sports has been proven to generate revenue as well as attract public partnership which are all aimed at enhancing podium performance by the athletes.

Shehu Dikko’s business vision and wide participation in football contributed in making him the right candidate to place the sector in its expected level, increase the GDP of the country’s economy and equally be accountable with administrative roadmap for success.

The novelty match organised for him by his sports fans and League managers had the likes of Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Dominic Iorfa, Ahmed Musa in attendance to share their joy with him as they displayed their talent with their foot.
Others that graced the occasion were Super Sports General Manager, Felix Nwogu, former and present Chairmen of House Committee on Sports, NFF President, NOC members and persons from across the globe. That singular act indicated a clear fact that Dikko can actually gather momentum with persons that can support his ideology to deliver as charged by the presidency.

However, the Chairman’s meekness to open his doors to all does not mean weakness neither does it mean that he has not commenced work officially. His work is more of brain tasking because ideas actually rule the world. I will boldly say that he has resumed work with like minds that will not only be on the same page with him but will as well be on success Guinness Book with him.

Felly Mammah N.
Press Officer (NSC).

Share on Facebook