Economy & Politics
Bayelsa Airport will not be submerged – Dickson replies Oshiomhole
Adams Oshiomhole threw jabs at the Bayelsa State Government, demanding accountability for the construction of the state airport runway project.
Earlier this week, National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole threw jabs at the Bayelsa State Government, demanding accountability for the construction of the state airport runway project that gulped N100 billion.
The Details: In a conversation with the APC governorship aspirant in Bayelsa, Heineken Lokpobiri and some state governors on Thursday, the APC National Chairman said the airport was flooded.
Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson in a swift response to the party stalwart, dismissed those statements, as he stressed that the cargo airport newly completed in the state was not flooded.
To prove his point, he called upon the press and took them on a tour around the airport and explained why operations were yet to commence at the newly constructed airport. He pointed out that the airport project was still being held back by regulatory agencies.
Giving an account of how the money was spent, Dickson explained that acquisition of land, clearing, sand filling and actual construction of the airport gulped N70 billion as opposed to N100 billion mentioned by the party stalwart.
[READ MORE: Okowa targets N100 million annual revenue via Asaba Airport concession]
“It is clear from this visit that former Governor Adams Oshiomole lied when he was quoted as saying that the airport runway is flooded. All the visitors confirmed that 3.5 km. the runway was high above flood level.
“So the question is: why is a fellow South-South person deliberately maligning another governor from the region? Is this the way to play politics, even with the development of the people?
This is the height of the flood in Bayelsa State, but as you can see, there is no flood here; we reclaimed these parcels of land before starting the construction.
“This airport has one of the best runways in this country; so we will not join Oshiomhole in playing politics with the fortune of our people,” Dickson said.
Bayelsa Airport
In a recent Nairametrics report, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bayelsa State Government to be the official ground handling provider in the Bayelsa International Airport.
The Manager, Corporate Communications, SAHCO, Mrs Vanessa Uansohia, said the firm would offer services to both international and domestic airline operators. She stated that with manpower training and investments in state-of-the-art aviation ground handling equipment, among others, the company would exceed customers’ expectations.
Economy & Politics
FG meets group to access AfCFTA’s $650 billion market
AfCFTA is aligned to the ministry’s twin national objectives of industrialization and export based diversification.
The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has met with executives of the Nigerian Agribusiness Group (NABG) on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and access the continent’s market worth $659 billion, in mostly manufacturing goods and services.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo during the meeting on Monday.
READ: AfCFTA delay: A bane to Africa’s $3.4 trillion economic bloc
The minister emphasized on the importance of AfCFTA, as it is aligned to the ministry’s twin national objectives of industrialization and export based diversification. It provides us with a preferential access to African market worth over $650bn, in mostly manufactured goods .
Back story: Nairametrics had reported when Aissata Koffi Yameogo, ECOWAS’ Programmes Officer in charge of implementing AfCFTA rules of origin in the continent, said that the implementation will expand market for the manufacturing industry to 1.3 billion West African citizens, without additional duties and fees.
“It will build production capacity in the region and develop the value chain, and increased export to other African states” she added.
The benefits would also encourage member states to specialise in the production of a certain good where they have a comparative advantage, thus enhancing the quality and quantity of local production and creating more jobs.
He said, “This would improve our competitiveness and the perception of our products and services in the African market. Intra-African trade in Agro products and services will develop our local value chain, create jobs and increase our GDP.”
READ ALSO: Plentywaka raises $300,000, seeks partners as it launches operations in Abuja
Today, the Honourable Minister @NiyiAdebayo_ , had a meeting with executives of the Nigerian Agribusiness Group(NABG), on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. pic.twitter.com/GOhVzLVJb2
— FMITI Nigeria (@TradeInvestNG) August 10, 2020
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According to International Monetary Fund (IMF), the elimination of tariffs could boost trade in Africa by 15-25% in the medium term, and once fully implemented, is expected to cover all 55 African countries, with a combined GDP of about US$2.2 trillion.
Economy & Politics
INEC to introduce election results viewing portal
INEC says the policy would be tested at the Nasarawa State Constituency Bye-Election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced the introduction of a dedicated public portal called the INEC Result Viewing (IreV), which would enable Nigerians to view real-time results in polling stations.
This was announced Thursday evening in a statement signed by Festus Okoye, INEC’s Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee.
READ MORE: FIRS boss wants to tax street traders, artisans, others
PRESS RELEASE#INEC Introduces Election Result Viewing Portal pic.twitter.com/VOVWagi6pW
— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) August 6, 2020
“ The Commission is aware that result management has remained a major source of mistrust in our electoral process. INEC is determined to address any source of this concern through enhancing the level of transparency in the conduct of elections,” INEC said.
READ ALSO: Buhari orders payment of stranded NDDC scholarship students, commission gives reason for delay
INEC also said that it is an important principle for votes during elections to be correctly counted. This new initiative is a major step towards achieving that goal. However, INEC said this does not constitute electronic collation of votes just yet. Instead, “the collation of election results shall remain as provided for by law, a manual process of completion.”
IreV would be tested during the Nasarawa State Constituency Bye-Election scheduled for August 8th, INEC said.
READ MORE: 4.48 million beneficiaries apply for N-Power jobs in 16 days
Concerned Nigerians are advised to visit inecresults.com, create an account, and fill in their details which will lead them to the portal to oversee the collation of votes.
Economy & Politics
Chinese Loans: Clauses are international standard terms – Amaechi
The probes into Nigeria’s use of foreign loans could negatively affect how foreign lenders perceive the country.
Nigeria’s Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, said the clauses contained in Nigeria’s Chinese loans for infrastructural development are standard international commitment clauses. In other words, such are regular, applicable clauses whenever a country goes into a trade agreement with another country.
The Minister revealed this while on Channels Television’s evening political talk show, Politics Today.
I have said that these are standard clauses in international commercial agreements. We have been keeping to our repayment plans and we will repay our loans. pic.twitter.com/XGnakdgQsq
— Chibuike.R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) August 5, 2020
Back story: The Nigerian Senate called a hearing last week, asking the Minister to explain the clauses on Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in Nigeria. Instead, the Minister argued that the probe into Nigeria’s use of foreign loans to finance infrastructure projects could negatively affect how foreign lenders perceive the country and also impact further financing for future projects.
(READ MORE: China more willing to restructure Africa’s debt than private creditors)
Later during his recent Channels TV interview, the Minister said Nigeria is not Madagascar or Sri Lanka and has been keeping up with payment plans for the loan. “ No country has complained about Nigeria’s loan obligations,” Amaechi said.
Although he acknowledged Nigeria has debt over revenue problems, he made it clear that “that does not mean we have at any point in time refused to pay our loans.”
Amaechi then claimed that only a criminally-minded person would have issues with the loan terms. “Only those who don’t want to repay are worried about the clauses. If we repay our loans we won’t get arbitration,” he said.
The Minister also disclosed that the Ministry of Finance has repaid up to $98 million of the loans, adding, “those are standard international commitment clauses” and that no loan can be taken by the government without the approval of the National assembly.
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Lekam Bassey
November 9, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Oshiomhole is know to make bogus statements against people. Recall that in 2015 when APC came to power, he made same bogus corruption allegations against former minister finance. Till now he has not been able to prove it.He talks carelessly.