General
Kano to Feed Vulnerable Households with N493.5m, Produce N40m Calendars
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Kano State Government has said it plans to expend the sum of N493.5 million to feed vulnerable households and indigent people across the five Emirate Councils of the state
According to the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Muhammad Garba, this is part of the humanitarian policies of the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
He said the State Executive Council has already approved the release of the fund to enable the beneficiaries to survive the economic downturn that was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Garba said the “approval has been given by the Council for the release of N493,518,000.00 being the cost of foodstuff and other materials to be distributed as support to the most vulnerable indigent households/families across the five Emirates Councils in the state.”
He added that “the state Executive Council has also approved an upward review of the contract sum for the completion of five-kilometre dual carriageway roads in Warawa and Ungogo local government areas to the sum of N1,280,557,088.41.
“Contracts for the completion of the five-kilometre dual carriageway roads in Warawa and Ungogo local government area were awarded in January 2019 at the cost of N598,570,324.45 and N880,900,623.74 respectively.”
According to him, “the increase was as a result of an unprecedented rise in the general process of construction materials over the last four years.”
He further stated that “the new contract sum for the completion of Warawa and Ungogo dual carriageway roads stands at N997,240,689.54 and N398,670,365.08 respectively.”
The state has also got approval for the payment of differences of N238,851,229.62 to incorporate all adjustments and additional works for the construction of 100 new houses and upgrading of 50 others at the Model Village in Ganduje town of Dawakin Tofa local government.
The project, he said, which was awarded in January 2019 at the cost of N241,765,412.45, has now been reviewed to N480,616,641.55.
He said approval has also been given by the council for the payment of N95,363,450.00 for the payment of compensation for properties affected in the construction of Muhammadu Buhari Interchange at NNPC Mega Station Rotary Intersection, Hotoro along Maiduguri Road.
The Commissioner announced that the council has also approved the sum of N40,000,000.00 for the production of the 1443 AH Islamic Calendar by the state Shari’a Commission.
He said the project includes the production and printing of the calendar, where the services of some Islamic scholars that have vast knowledge on astronomy and other vital issues pertaining to the assessment of Islamic compensation would be involved.
He further disclosed that approval of N136,5482,009.93 has been given for the provision of potable water supply Gaya town and environs to eradicate cases of reported gastroenteritis that involves the rehabilitation of Wudil Regional Water Scheme to Gaya town and its environs, as well as the sum of N96,991,239.33 for the construction six solar mechanized boreholes and 30 hand pump borehole, as well as sensitization programme on triggering hygiene promotion.
He added that the sum of N82,452,000.00 has been approved by the council for the provision of high capacity electricity generators to two premier health facilities-Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital and Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital in the state.
The Commissioner revealed that the sum of N23,899,905.80 has been approved for the general renovation of physical structures at the Science and Technical Schools Board secretariat/headquarters.
In addition, the council has okayed the release of N24,850,000.00 and N18,770,000.00 for the conduct of 2021 IJMB at RMK College of Arts and Remedial Studies, T/Wada and Kano state College of Education and Remedial Studies respectively.
On the education front, the council for the release of N17,600,000.00 for the training by Industrial Training Fund (ITF) of 220 youth to be selected from the 44 local governments across the state.
Other approvals by the council include ratifications for projects that included contract determination for the rehabilitation/asphalt overlay of Kwanar Zira-Dungurawa Road awarded in January 2016 at the cost of N671,647,455.14 now reviewed to N1,195,990,619.88; construction of diversion road connecting Eastern Bypass Road to Maiduguri Road for the construction of Muhammadu Buhari Interchange at NNPC Mega Station Rotary Intersection, Hotoro along Maiduguri Road.
He said other approvals ratified by the council are repair of eroded/washed out section at Kiru town along Yako-Kiru-Karaye Road in Kiru local government area at the cost of N202,643,311.03; phase II renovation works at History and Culture Bureau, Gidan Dan Hausa, which is necessitated by the creation of a new ministry of tourism and culture.
The contract was initially awarded at the cost of N104,624,621.58 but has now been reviewed to N124,585,228.93
The Commissioner also stated that the council has ratified approval for the contract awarded for general renovation works at the Kano Emir’s Palace at the cost of N33,880,213.81.
He said the council has also been given by the council for the constituted committee on the Distribution of Palliative to indigent Households to cushion the current economic hardship.
The Committee’s composition includes some members of the State Executive Council; Special adviser; inter-party representation; security agents; representatives from the Emirate Council; SEMA; Hisbah Board; Chairman, Forum of Chief Imams of Jumu’ah Mosques; Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Red Cross Society; Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ); Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs); the Business Community, among others.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Three African subsidiaries of global advisory firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), have been debarred by the World Bank Group for 21 months after being found guilty of manipulating procurement processes for a major cross-border electricity project.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Washington-based multilateral lender said PricewaterhouseCoopers Associates Africa Ltd, based in Mauritius, along with its Kenyan and Rwandan affiliates, engaged in “collusive and fraudulent practices” linked to the Eastern Electricity Highway Project, a flagship initiative to transmit hydropower from Ethiopia to Kenya.
The decision sidelines PwC from lucrative World Bank-funded projects on the continent, dealing a blow to one of the region’s most influential audit and advisory firms.
This development could reshape competition for high-value consulting work across emerging markets, potentially disrupting startups and tech firms reliant on World Bank funding, as scrutiny over governance and compliance tightens.
The World Bank, through its private sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC), offers grants and low-interest loans to startups across emerging markets.
Earlier this week, the IFC committed $20 million to invest in high-growth startups in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
“The debarment makes PwC Associates, PwC Kenya, PwC Rwanda, and any affiliates they control ineligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects and operations,” the World Bank said. “It is part of a settlement agreement under which the three companies admit culpability for sanctionable practices.”
The determination was based on the company’s conduct between 2019 and the award of contracts for consultancy services and asset valuation work for the Ethiopian state power utilities.
According to the World Bank statement, the firm obtained confidential procurement documents to improperly influence the award of a contract for the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards at the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation.
They also attempted to steer a separate contract for a fixed asset inventory and revaluation for the power utility towards PwC Associates. During the bidding and execution of that contract, the bank found that the company misrepresented the availability and qualifications of key experts and failed to disclose the full list of subconsultants involved.
According to the World Bank, the debarment is shorter than would otherwise apply because PwC admitted misconduct. The advisory firm also agreed to a series of remedial measures, including internal investigations, disciplinary action against responsible staff, terminating relationships with all subconsultants involved, and additional staff training.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has affirmed the right of Nigerians to film personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on duty.
The judgment was given by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa on Tuesday in a case filed by Mr Maxwell Uwaifo in suit number FHC/WR/CS/87/2025.
The court held that Nigerians have the constitutional right to use any device to record police officers executing their official duties in public.
It was ruled that police officers must wear visible name tags, display their force numbers, and must not harass, intimidate, arrest, or seize devices from citizens documenting their activities.
The court awarded the applicant N5 million in damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and N2 million for the cost of litigation.
Business Post reports that the respondents in the case were the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the NPF, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The lawyer filed the case in accordance with Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 of the Constitution of Nigeria and others.
“This judgement has significant implications for policing standards, civil liberties, and public accountability across Nigeria,” Mr Uwaifo said after the judgement.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The General Manager in charge of Transmission for Lagos Region of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Adeshina Adeonipekun, has stressed the critical role of Lagos in the national grid.
While receiving the chief executive of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Ms Wola Joseph Condotti, at his office on Monday, he said the Lagos region accounts for about 30 per cent of total power off-take in Nigeria.
He stated that TCN was implementing strategic expansion and project upgrades aimed at enhancing grid stability and operational efficiency in response to rising demand.
Mr Adeonipekun highlighted recent key milestones achieved in the region, including the commissioning of a 100MVA power transformer at the Ijora 132/33kV Transmission Substation, a 300MVA transformer at the Lekki 330/132kV Transmission Substation, and a 125MVA unit at the Agbara 132/33kV Substation, among others.
According to him, these additions have further increased the region’s installed capacity to 5,470MVA on the 132/33kV network and 4,110MVA on the 330/132kV network.
He further said that there were several ongoing rehabilitations at key substations within the region, including Amuwo GIS, Akoka 132/33kV, and Itire 132/33kV Transmission Substations, all geared towards further improving reliability, reducing system constraints, and enhancing the overall efficiency of power delivery.
In her remarks, Ms Condotti expressed appreciation for TCN’s continued partnership and support, underscoring the importance of sustained collaboration between transmission and distribution companies in building a more stable and efficient electricity transmission and supply network.
Both parties explored ways to strengthen collaboration and ensure a more stable and efficient power supply in Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn