Oshiomhole Outlines Plans For 2013

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Edo State Government will, in 2013, hold a town hall meeting on how to get the Local Government Administrations in the state to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.

Also, a security summit to look into the how to tackle the security
challenges in the state will hold in the New Year.

Besides, construction of the Central Hospital Benin, which suffered a little setback in the outgoing year will be completed and equipped with modern facilities.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole made this known during a meeting with traditional rulers across the three senatorial districts of the state, at the weekend.

According to him, “We need your support to revisit the local governments to make them work for the people. We have to bring a change to the local government administration to bring government closer to the people. In a democracy, the only thing that is constant is change, we cannot continue like this at the local government; we cannot have local governments that are there to pay salaries alone,” he noted.

The governor who expressed dismay over the activities of the local governments said among other reforms to be done is the trimming down of wasteful expenditure which will be diverted for capital projects such as the building of markets in the respective local governments

“I will seek your support to restore sanity in our public life. We have to carry out major reforms across the state and we will need to be more firm,” he stressed.

On the proposed security summit which will involve all stakeholders in the state, the Governor said with the contributions made by the state government, security challenges in the state should have been reduced to the minimal level.

According to him, “In Edo State we have given out over one hundred and ten vehicles for patrol but when I go out I don’t see them. I have asked the Acting Commissioner of Police to make the vehicles available for a physical audit. We cannot accept a situation where the vehicles provided for security in the state are diverted for private use or even taken outside the state for other purposes.

We have to revisit the issue of the vigilante groups carrying weapons to complement the security agencies in our communities.

We will need to go beyond throwing money at the security agencies and find out how they have managed the ones we have given to them”, he added.

The Governor urged the royal fathers to appeal to the Federal Government to adequately fund the security agencies which is a matter in the exclusive legislative list.

He said there will also be reforms in the education sector to enforce discipline.

On agriculture, the Governor said: “In the first term of the administration, we focused on infrastructure, which we are going to sustain. We are now going to focus on Agriculture and the emphasis this time is to attract businesses into the state. We will sustain the current projects and accelerate the pace of work to the extent our resources permit.

“We are expecting more investment in the state, that is why we have to manage our land judiciously and make the land accessible to genuine investors. We will need your support to also clean up the land administration system,” the Governor disclosed, noting that Government has found that a large portion of the state land reserves are in the hands of individuals who do not properly utilise the land, rather they rent out the land and make profits on it, warning that all such lands will be reverted to Government if not properly utilised.

Comrade Oshiomhole maintained that he will do everything to sustain the trust which the traditional rulers and the people of the state have reposed in him by sustaining the welfare and infrastructural agenda across the state.

Oshiomhole Reconstitutes State Electoral Commission

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Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has reconstituted the board of the State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) following the sacking of the former board by the court.

Speaking at the swearing-in of the chairman and seven members of the new board, last Friday, Governor Oshiomhole said “we have had to dissolve the former board in compliance with the order of the court. Although we didn’t agree with the order, we had to obey as we felt it was easier to obey the order than go through the process of appealing it.”

He said the starting point of getting democratically-elected Local Governments is to constitute an electoral board with men and women of proven integrity.

The Governor said to ensure the impartiality of the Chairman and members of the board, he invited the Chief Judge and judiciary in the State to nominate members who in their opinion are competent and independent.

He charged the board to “do whatever you can that is in full compliance with the law and put in motion the process of conducting a free and fair election.

“We’ve had a couple of elections in the recent times. I believe under your leadership, we can expect to get a free and fair election in Edo State. I hope you understand the enormity of the task.

“I have been a victim of election rigging and I have promised myself and my God that I shall do everything possible to ensure that the electoral commission in the state conducts a free and fair election.

“I congratulate you but I also commiserate with you because the task before you is a very challenging one.”

Chairman of the board, Solomon Ogoh assured the governor and people of the state that the board is made up of tested hands who are ready to deliver a free and fair local government election in the state.

Why Governors Boycotted Late Yakowa’s Grave

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From Citizen Reporter, Kaduna
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Following the demise of late Sir Patrick Yakowa former governor of Kaduna state, who died on the 15th December helicopter crash at Bayelsa state.
The controversy surrounding the Death of the governor rages, as the widow Mrs. Amina Yakowa in her remarks at the funeral ceremony of her late husband stated that her husband in his simplicity attended the burial ceremony of Oronto Douglas late father at Bayelsa state.
Oronto Douglas a special Adviser to the president on research and Documentation is also a friend of the late sir Patrick Yakowa former governor of Kaduna state.
The status of a Nigerian Governor today does not permit late sir Patrick Yakowa to associate with a mere adviser to the president let alone attending a private burial where he met his death.
Angered by the way and manner late Yakowa lost his life carelessly, during the funeral ceremony Dr. olusegun mimiko was the first governor who walked out of the funeral serviceat fadan kagoma.full of tears,shock and disbelief.when asked on comments he expressed sadness on how a Nigerian governor lost his life in a tragic and demeaning way.
The governor viewed it perhaps late Yakowa has been used by bloodletting cultic politicians.
In his remarks chairman of the Nigerian governors forum Governor Rotimi Amaechi shortly told the family of late sir. Patrick Yakowa that after the burial of their son, father and husband, the fanfare, attraction that greeted the burial of late Yakowa will fizzle out as most of his colleagues the governors will no longer relate with the family of their late colleague.
He promised to use his good offices position and authority to do good to late Yakowa’s family.
When it was announced that the governors should all move into the residence of late Sir Patrick Yakowa for internment.it was only the host governor Dr. Ramalan Yero late Yakowa’s successor that came into his residence.
The knight fraternity, the bishops including his family members was the only people at the graveside.
It was only Governor Isa Yuguda that visited his residence apart from the host governor after the internment. The rest governors from the funeral service say to your tent o’ ISREAL.

Ritualistic Personality Of Bar Jimoh Ibrahim: Do Not Eat His Ritual Cow Meat – By John Nnorom

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This week Monday, the Nicon Luxury Hotel at VGC was shut down and sealed by tax staff from Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue over N40 Million tax obligation.

Yesterday the Managing Director of Nicon Insurance Plc Mr. Jegede was telecasted for being deeply involved in pension scam as enough evidence exist that Bar aJimoh Ibrahim used dying pension money to buy Challenge 625 Jet. In the last two months, Nicon Luxury Hotel, abuja has been under intensive and extensive pressure from staff of CBN/Amcon over the N17 Billion debt taken over by Amcon. The crashing Reco-Billionaire Bar Jimoh is running around from one shrine to another looking for spiritual solution and at imole, he was told to kill his ritual cow

The mysterious/ juju power of Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, expires every 31st Dec. while Nigerians are in the church praising God on 31st Dec, for the coming new year, Bar Jimoh stays inside his shrine house, worshipping the spirit of imole, whose blood scarifies is cow blood. A cow must be killed by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim with his own hand with a particular knife, every 1st Jan, to renew his covenant with his demonic masters.

Once the cow is killed by the hand of Bar Jimoh, the neck must be cut-out for the preparation of his concoction and he will use the knife to draw a sign on his head, the head of his children and the head of his two wives. Let the little children and the wives be interviewed outside Bar Jimoh’s presence for a confirmation of the yearly cow ritual. His PA, paid for six cows on first week of December, 2012 for the preparation of this year 2012 ritual.

Half of the cow is buried in his compound for the spirits of Imole to come and eat while half is shared among the visitors that will come to his house to say happy New Year. No member of his family will eat this particular cow meat. Another cow is killed for members of the family to eat, on 1st of every January.

Last week, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim hurriedly invited the remaining Global fleet staff, who have not receive the last three months’ salary for end of year party and a ritual cow meat was served to them to eat. I had warned Jimoh Ibrahim not to try the cow ritual this year with a text message from my blackberry but he cleverly and secretly without adequate notice invited staff for Christmas party in his house. All global fleet staff that ate Bar Jimoh Ibrahim cow, should fast for three days and run to any anointed man of God so that the yoke/curse will be broken otherwise your star, your great miracles destine for your family in 2013 shall go to Bar Jimoh Ibrahim.

Another, cow ritual is coming in Bar Jimoh Ibrahim house by 31st Dec, 2012, night. This cow ritual is for the general public, whose great destiny and star shall be taken away by Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, if you eat this particular cow meat or take the cow meat away to cook in your house, the star of goodness and progress for your entire house hold will be taken away in 2013. Nigerians be warned. When, I warned of Air Nigeria crisis, few people did not take me serious but today all that I said had come to pass. Bar Jimoh Ibrahim is a highly ritualistic personality and Nigerians particularly people from Ondo State should avoid him.

Last year, Jimoh travelled to London on 24th December, hoping to be back on 30th December for his yearly cow rituals but due to the year-end strike, he could not come back to Nigeria to kill the ritual cow as usual. About seven of us that worked for him started fasting that God should destroy the 2012 cow ritual. We started fasting immediately Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, travelled to London and God answered us in his miraculous way. His native doctor came to his VGC house on 30th Dec, 2011 and was waiting for Jimoh to return while Jimoh was trapped in London by circumstance beyond his control.

On the 31st of Dec, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim was shouting in London house at 17 Bishop Avenue, give me a cow but his steward said, sir you cannot kill a cow in this compound otherwise police will arrest us. When Jimoh insisted, the steward said, sir you also cannot bury half of a cow in this compound, it is a health hazard and we shall be prosecuted. His juju power expired first 1stJanuary, 2012 as Jimoh Ibrahim could not renew it. To renew this powerful juju, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim must kill the cow and cut out the neck, half of the cow will be buried and the remaining half is shared to the public. His native Doctor will collect the neck of the cow and prepare a special concoction, which JImoh Ibrahim will eat alone.Once, this is done, business will start to boom for Bar Jimoh Ibrahim.

The great evidence, that the juju expired in 2012, is the level of turbulence that Bar Jimoh Ibrahim passed through in 2012. He could not acquire any business in 2012, he was charged to court for tax evasion of N4.87Billion, quizzed by EFCC, Disgraced by the senate members, Air Nigeria his cash milk cow was closed, newswatch closed, news magazine called him the Nigerian corporate virus, central Bank of Nigeria blacklisted him for being in debt of N28Billion, out of which AMCON has taken over N17Billion and this explains why RECO-BILLIONAIRE is crashing. This explain why, I said in my last publication, that Jimoh Ibrahim is a toothless bull dog because in the spiritual realm, he is finished.

Today, his Nicon Luxuary Hotel in VGC has been under lock and key, sealed by Lagos state Government over non-payment of N40Million tax obligations. His Nicon Luxuary Hotel, abuja is under intensive pressure by the former management that won a case of stolen brand management amounting to N1.8Billion both in London and Nigeria court. The Abuja luxuary hotel is about to be taken over by Central Bank of Nigeria/Amcon over a debt of N17Billion and early next year the judgment shall be executed. Nigeria insurance Plc is under pension fund scam involving N10Billion as Mr jegede, the CEO of Nicon Insurance Plc was telecasted.This money was partly used in the acquisition of Bar Jimoh Ibrahim private Challenger jet, while pensioners are dying every day.

His arrest by the operative of Federal Inland Revenue Services and subsequent charge to court is an abnormal event in the life of Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, for those who know him. The crash and closure of Air Nigeria before Dec, 2012 was predicted by a particular Pastor after the fasting, the suspension of Nicon Insurance Plc and the closure of Nigeria Re-insurance in 2013 were all predicted by the same Pastor and these are all signs of expired juju. Jimoh conglomerate is crashing and he is getting ready to kill his ritual cows on 31stDecember, 2012, just to renew his powers. This explains, why we are publishing this article to warn the general public.

Jimoh rise is based on Imole Shrine, where he used to invoke the spirit of IMOLE to work for him. It was in this shrine that the concoction that was dropped in Navy Capt Ayeni drink was prepared. His native Doctor, now a fake pastor, who now writes articles in his national mirror, was part of those who prepared the concoction. It was dropped in Navy Capt Ayeni’s drink, which affected him mentally and the so called brain tumor. This explain why, Navy Capt Ayeni was removed from his position because for months when he developed this mental illness, Jimoh was the person assigned to collect Bayelsa State’s allocation from abuja. Over 70% of Bayelsa state allocation during Capt ayeni sickness disappeared into jimoh home in ondo State. Navy Capt Ayeni is on wheel chair now; it was only few months ago, that the Governor of Ekiti State bought a new car for him. On the day that Jimoh was given the juju to drop in Capt Ayeni drinks, the followings laws were passed over to him;

1. Any day that you help Navy capt Ayeni, that day Bar jimoh Ibrahim will go on wheelchair. It is Navy capt Ayeni STAR that you are now using to acquire wealth. This explain, why Jimoh refused to help the man that made him his PA, despite the fact that navy capt Ayeni is sick and needs help now.

2. If you help anybody with this money, you Bar Jimoh will suffer. This explained why Jimoh cannot help people including his blood brothers. His immediate junior brother was a kabu-kabu driver until friends help him to travel abroad, where he now works.

3. You must not mourn for others, this explain why Jimoh does not attend burial ceremony. He will only attend, if the burial ceremony is for celebration.

4. Finally, on 31st Dec, you must slaughter a cow by yourself, cut out the neck for a particular concoction which shall be prepared by a particular spiritualist. This concoction must be eaten alone by Jimoh with uncooked yam. The implication is that whatever thing that Jimoh say, must be obeyed by all. That explain, why people are afraid of jimoh and he can buy a company worth N20billion for N1million.

Part of the other conditions is that any house that Jimoh used must not be occupied by any person or death will follow the new occupant. Jimoh owns 36 houses in VGC. Three houses are in road 3 and are covered by weed. The house in Road 2 is also covered by weed. The house at Idimu is covered by weed. The first office used in Victoria Island as VAT/WITHHOLDING TAX office is under lock and key. The glass house at AJAH Bus-stop is vacant and is used by area boys. The VGC gate office is vacant and now jimoh is occupying 159/160 Broad Street and once he moves out, nobody will occupy this building.

One reason why people may not be occupying his building is because many types of juju are buried in all his houses. In some of his house, the juju is meant to take away tenant star and progress. You cannot reside in Jimoh house and build your own house. Jimoh as a native Doctor monitors his entire tenant spiritually. If you progress, you are in trouble.
The fall of jimoh Ibrahim has just began, let us watch the future and see what God will do to this unrepentant soul. We pray, he repents and give his life to God with true confessions.

Extract from chapter 21, online book to be published on Bar Jimoh Ibrahim, written by John Nnorom.

John I Nnorom is a Chartered Accountant by Profession, a licensed tax practitioner and a management Consultant. He trained and worked for KPMG for several years and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1986. He was admitted a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in 1988 and was licensed to practice in 1989. He was subsequently admitted in year 2000, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, Associate Member- Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and holds an MBA from Enugu State University of Science and Technology with specialization in management. He has over twenty five years post-qualification working experience that transcends First City Monument bank, Fidelity Bank, The Flash Group, Abia State Government., He was a part-time consultant with National Forwarding & Clearing Agency, Pioneer tax lecturer –Student Pye Nig Ltd- Lagos, Ex-Special Assistant to Abia State Government on Internally Generated Revenue, Ex-Tax Consultant-Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue, Ex-Executive Director Finance, Air Nigeria Development Limited and Non-Executive Director Nigeria Re-insurance Corporations.He is currently the Chairman of Bluesea Overseas Ltd. His articles and published works includes; Re-engineering FG revenue base, Financing a state through internal revenue, States must enact new tax laws to boost revenue, How Abia tax system will generate more revenue, States do not need Federal allocation to run local council, Publication of local Government allocation in order, Abia introduce Direct Bank Lodgment System, Abia hits the billion mark internal revenue target and FG should tax citizens to repay foreign debt, MISSION IN GLOBAL GROUP, AIR NIGERIA IS A FLYING COFFINS,HOW WE SAVED 100 SOULS FROM PLANE CRASH, AIR NIGERIA BELONGS TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,BAR JIMOH IBRAHIM TAX EVASION CRIMINAL CHARGE OF N4.87B, DYING PENSIONER MONEY USED TO BUY PRIVATE JET BY BAR JIMOH IBRAHIM, AFRIXIM LOAN DIVERTED AND USED TO BUY ENERGY BANK, BLOOD SACRIFIES TO BECOME ONDO GOVERNOR,PLOT TO DUPE NIGERIANS WITH 180 FUELLING STATION, BAR JIMOH BECOMES OVERNITE BILLIONAIRE,INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE SHOULD WITHDRAW POLICE PROTECTION, COLLAPSED BANKS AND SACKING OF CEO LINK TO BAR JIMOH IBRAHIM, THE PLOT TO ASSISSNATE JOHN NNOROM, RISE OF RECO-BILLIONAIRE,DAILY SPIRITUAL WAR ON MRS CECILA IBRU, GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYERS MORE THAN BISHOP OYIDEPO, RADICAL SON BAR JIMOH DISOWNED BY DAD, EX-GM, NOW A REFUGEE IN REDEEMED CAMP, STAFF INVISIBLE CAR, MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN NICON GROUP, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION DEALS OF BAR JIMOH IBRAHIM AND WHY RECO-BILLIONAIRE IS CRASHING.

John Nnorom…. 07068021111, 08033064519, E-mail: john.nnorom@gmail.com

R-E-V-E-A-L-E-D: Report Indicted Anenih, Alison-Madueke, Others Of Robbing Nigeria N234bn Meant For Road.

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Tony Anenih, recently re-appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan to head the board of the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, does not have a clean past in managing public funds, a 2009 senate report said.
In December 2009, a damning report detailing how Mr. Anenih, a former works minister and then leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), allegedly mismanaged billions of naira meant for the rehabilitation and construction of Nigerian roads, was listed for debate – for the third time in a row – by the Senate.

The transport probe report is filled with revelations of alleged serial malpractices, and shows how, in 10 years (1999 to 2009), through multiple contract inflation frauds, connivance between contractors and government officials, some N645 billion was spent on 4,752 kilometres of road; shortchanging the government to the tune of N49 million on each kilometre of road worked on, amounting to approximately N233 billion.

The report, produced by a senate ad-hoc committee on transportation, led by Heineken Lokpobiri, blamed Anenih and his successors in the ministry, for the poor state of Nigerian highways during the period and called for their prosecution.

The report

The report shows that Nigeria’s public transportation sector, under the watch of Mr. Anenih and three others, was a cesspit of monumental corruption and fraud as contractors connived with government officials to defraud the country.

The report contains details of what its authors said was one of the nation’s largest portfolio of official scams at the time. During its 20-day sitting in 2008, the ad-hoc committee said it scrutinised 532 written memoranda and listened to 248 presentations.

The committee said ministers and other senior officials of the ministries of transportation and Finance between 1999 and 2009 awarded multiple contracts for the same roads and paid for unapproved contracts.
According to the report, between 1999 and 2009, the ministry of transportation gave contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of 11, 591 km roads at a cost of N1.008 trillion – about N87 million per km.

During the same period, only 41 per cent of the roads were worked on, after close to 64 per cent of the contract value was paid.

In the 10-year period, work was done on only 4,752 kilometres of roads for N645.8 billion, at very high cost of N135.8 million per kilometre, defrauding the government N49 million on each kilometre.

“There was no commensurate value for funds expended on the roads from 1999 to 2009,” the committee said.
The committee said contractors, who were usually selected on questionable grounds, liaised with the leadership of the ministries and reduced the scope of awarded contracts without an equivalent scaling down on costs. In all cases, no one received any query from the internal audit.

The report said that under the reign of Tony Anenih, Adeseye Ogunlewe, Obafemi Anibaba and Cornelius Adebayo, road contracts were awarded depending only on estimates that were submitted by the bidding contractors, without prior design by the ministry.

The ministry also “fixed prices even before the roads were actually designed by the companies,” the report said.

The report detailed how about half – 46 per cent – of the companies that got jobs under Mr. Anenih and the three were not registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission at the time they were awarded contracts, against contract management rules.

It described the engineering representatives of the transport ministry as some of the most corrupt and lacking in technical expertise. “They granted clearances to the contractors when the jobs were far from finished,” the report said.

The current Petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who – as minister of Transportation and Works – literally wept while inspecting the condition of the Benin-Ore road, was also indicted in the report.
The panel said Mrs. Alison-Madueke paid more than N1.2 billion into the private account of a company called Digital Toll Gates Limited, against the written advice of the Due Process Office.
Recommended for prosecution

The senators recommended that Tony Anenih, Adeseye Ogunlewe, Obafemi Anibaba and Cornelius Adebayo, who headed the transport ministry within that period, along with their Ministers of State and the Permanent Secretaries be prosecuted by the government for defrauding the nation.

The report also recommended the prosecution of Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who was the permanent secretary during the administration of all the ministers except Mr. Anenih’s. He was alleged to have crafted a means of splitting contracts into sizeable amounts to bring the values within the approving authority of his office. With this, projects with single appropriation were allegedly awarded by him separately sometimes to non-existing companies.
Swept under the carpet

That report was never considered on the floor of the senate.

The report, which took the ad hoc committee 18 months to produce, kept appearing on the senate’s order paper as a matter to be considered at the next plenary till February 2010 when it was again listed to be debated and adopted in March. That was its last listing before that senate session ended in June 2011.
Ayogu Eze, a member of the committee and spokesman for the senate at the time, said the report could have “skipped the minds of those in the Senate leadership” or, perhaps, the Rules and Business committee of the Senate failed to slate it for discussion.

The Rules and Business Committee schedules matters handed down to it by the Senate leadership for discussion.

Alloysius Etok, then chairman of the Rules and Business Committee explained at the time he could no longer schedule the probe report for debate because he got no green light from the then senate leadership, led by David Mark.

“I’m trying to prioritise them (issues to be discussed by the Senate) and again, they (the authors of the report) did not finish that job,” Mr. Etok said. “I was trying to weigh the options which I am still trying to talk to the leadership to see if we can now take the report in part. If the leadership agrees that we treat it in parts, then I will bring it up for the interest of the public and Nigerian people. If the leadership says we should wait till they bring the second part of the report, then I will wait.”
The report indicting Mr. Anenih was the first part of a larger investigation of alleged corruption in the transport sector since 1999 by the Lokpobiri led Senate ad-hoc committee.

The second part of the report, which lawmakers said detailed the misuse of the funds meant for the marine and air transport sector during that time, was never submitted.
Mr. Jonathan ignores indictment to reappoint Anenih

President Jonathan has now brushed aside that indictment hanging on Mr. Anenih’s neck, appointing him to head the board of the NPA. Critics say the appointment has once again underlined the president’s non-commitment to the war against corruption.

The presidency could not be reached to comment for this story. His spokespersons, Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe, did not answer or return calls made to their telephones.

Source: Premium Times

Two Months Absence of Gov. Danbaba Suntai: Who is in-charge in Taraba State?

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The two months absence of Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai due to air crash is creating ripples in Taraba state. Weekly Trust was in Taraba to gauge the impulse created by this absence, the conflicting reports over his state of health, the capacity of the acting governor as well as the emerging political intrigues.

The state capital Jalingo looks usually normal with people going about their normal business, but what dominates their conversation, usually in hush tones, is the state of health of the governor, Danfulani Suntai, who was involved in an air crash and had to be flown to an undisclosed hospital in Germany for treatment in the last two months.
Deserted secretariat

The state civil service was equally not exempted from feeling the pulse of the governor’s continued absence. On Thursday, the state secretariat that houses most of the state’s ministries on Thursday around 10:40am, had very fewer vehicles at the premises and the balcony of the three-storey complex was almost deserted.

Most of the offices were closed and there were no sign of activities in the various ministries. Most of the workers available were the junior ones, mostly clustered around television sets in their various ministries’ waiting rooms.

But a civil servant who didn’t want to be named told Weekly Trust that “the secretariat was never a centre of bee-hive of activities since the ascension of the ailing governor. Suntai has successfully starved them of funds. They don’t give out contracts. Very few of them organize events now. Politicians and contractors alike don’t patronize the ministries, because nothing is actually happening.”
Regime of the cabal

The information flow of the governor’s actual state of health, according to some political stakeholders in Taraba, is controlled by a cabal who “benefits from the governor’s continued absence.”

A People Democratic Party (PDP)’s chieftain in the state, Alhaji Danjuma Isa Munga accused Suntai’s close associates of concealing information about his health to the people of the state. “It is ridiculous that his aides who never travel to Germany are busy telling us that they spoke with him (Suntai) on phone while the actual people who went to Germany are either keeping quiet or saying the opposite,” Munga told Weekly Trust in Jalingo.

“Some of them went to the extent of saying that they went to Germany and saw the governor taking kunu (oats) and he’ll come back by first week of February. Whereas the likes of Governor Gabriel Suswam said his condition is pathetic,” he said.

“The aides paint a colorful picture of Suntai’s health to discourage the acting governor from taking positive decisions. The governor is left on the conundrum that the substantive governor will return tomorrow, next week, therefore he’s left handicapped without taking any decision for fear of it being reversed on the ailing governor’s return. This allows the cabal to have their way,” the PDP chieftain said.

He said “if at all they spoke with him and he’s not suffering from life-threatening ailment, why can’t they air their conversation with him on the state television or radio? Up to now, the state government doesn’t deem it fit to send an official delegation to Germany to ascertain the actual state of health of the governor, rather feeding us with bare-faced lies and deceit. It is very unfortunate.”

Munga said “like the case during Yar’adua’s illness, the cabal is afraid of losing out in the new political equation. Some of them have been there since 1999 and don’t want anything to temper with the current arrangement. That is why they imposed on the state this waiting game.”
There is no cause for alarm – Deputy Speaker

The state Deputy Speaker, Mr. Peter Abel Diah told Weekly Trust in his office in Jalingo that he spoke with the governor on phone and “the governor will be home soon.”

“I spoke with the Governor last Sunday (December 16) and he said he was getting better and would return as soon as his doctors discharge him. His personal physician is in Germany with him. There is no cause for alarm,” the deputy speaker said.

He said the parliament is not under pressure from any quarters, “because it is carrying out its normal constitutional duty. We have been working cordially with the acting governor and he has been very effective. By Monday, the acting governor is presenting the 2013 budget to us. He has already sent us a supplementary budget.”

Governance is not stagnated in Taraba

The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, said the fewer number of workers was occasioned by the “NLC calls for strike in solidarity with Plateau workers.”
Bello said “I have heard series of meetings with my Permanent Secretary, directors and staff. There is no stagnation in governance of the state due to Governor Suntai’s absence.”

Also, reacting to Governor Suswam’s statement about Suntai’s condition, Bello said “we’re the first respondent on this matter and we’re saying that the governor is neither suffering from brain damage nor spinal cord injury or any life-threatening ailment.”

He denied claims that the state is stagnant because of Suntai’s absence, saying “the executive council has been holding series of meetings over budget. The acting governor has distributed relief materials, confirmed the acting chief judge of the state, took prompt action on the Ibi crisis and distributed relief materials to flood victims.”
Absence of political patronage

One of the major problems bedeviling politicians in Taraba in the last two months is the inability of the acting governor to dispense political patronage. A politician who declined being named said the anxiety is occasioned by the fact that the acting governor is handicapped in patronizing politicians who worked for the present government during elections. “The acting governor can only pay salaries, but can’t give out contracts which are what is sustaining the political class,” he said.

This assertion was corroborated by a PDP chieftain and two-term lawmaker in defunct Gongola State, Alhaji Musa Karamti in Jalingo. “You see the acting governor is handicapped, because he was made deputy just two weeks before the governor’s tragic accident,” he told Weekly Trust.

“There are so many things left undone and there are so many politicians who needed to be catered for through patronage that include contracts and so on, but the acting governor can’t do that now, because he’s not substantive. His hands are tied and the politicians are suffering,” he said.

The waiting game

One issue in the mind of many citizens of Taraba is when is Governor Suntai returning and what happens if he doesn’t? Though it is the question many people are asking in hush tones across Jalingo, it was an issue the state officials are very reluctant to talk about.

Diah told Weekly Trust how long the governor can stay abroad can only be discussed if the need arises, “there is no need to pre-empt the situation. We’ll know how to cross the bridge when we get there,” he said.

In his response to the same question, the Information Commissioner said “all I know is the governor is returning soon and already his two aides had been released.”
When probed further, Bello said the decision of his return would be determined by his doctors in Germany.

“The doctors in Germany have the final say,” he said.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister G.T. Kataps would not talk to Weekly Trust on the matter, saying “you violated protocol. You should ask the Information Commissioner to book you an appointment with me. You can’t barge into my office for information like that.”

When this reporter told him that he wanted to know what will happen if the governor remains outside the state for more than three months, the commissioner just pick a constitution and handed it to the reporter, accusing some online media for disseminating lies information about the governor’s state of health.

Weekly Trust told him that it was in his office for the ‘correct’ information, but even that said that he won’t talk, saying “just go and read the constitution.” Quoting some verses from the Holy Bible, the commissioner said that “life and death are in the hands of God.”

He said that Nigerians should commend him for advising the judiciary to swear –in the deputy governor as acting governor even before the expiration of 21 days. “I should be commended not condemned,” he said.

After about 10 minutes “lecture” on how journalism, Kataps left the office and entered his car without responding to Weekly Trust queries.

Political realignment and intrigues

The power vacuum in Taraba has brought an abrupt change in the power equation, making some politicians who fixed their eyes in succeeding Suntai in 2015 to become more desperate. With the near absence of strong opposition in the state, the ruling PDP, which is earlier polarized between Governor Suntai’s camp and Senators Aisha Jummai Alhassan and Tutare’s camp, is now further imploding.

The ailing governor’s camp, Weekly Trust gathered, is now divided into the Taraba State’s Speaker Istifanus Gbana’s camp and Senator Emmanuel Bwacha’s camp. “Bwacha has been considered as heir apparent in Suntai’s camp, but the sudden ill-health of the governor is trying to change that calculation,” a source said.

And the Senator is not relenting. “All this conflicting information or propaganda about the governor’s health is believed to be emanating from that Senator from Abuja mainly to retain his esteemed position as Suntai’s successor,” the source said.

“But a new dimension has been created with the governor’s sudden crash. The Speaker’s group is now challenging the status quo by trying to vie for the governorship seat in 2015. That makes the situation very tense and the politicians very desperate,” he said.

This is not to mention the Senators Jummai and Tutare’s camps which had been giving Suntai’s camp sleepless nights. “The chances that a Muslim may eventually emerge as the state governor in 2015 if eventually Suntai couldn’t return to his seat also make the governor’s camp very jittery. That religious dimension is very critical and mostly responsible for the present cat and mouse game over the governor’s state of health,” a source inside the government said.

Is the acting governor really in charge?

Though the acting Governor Garba Umar is in-charge of the administrative affairs of the state, analysts believed that he is not yet in charge of the political scene in the state.

“He is politically handicapped. That is just the truth. The political allies of Suntai represented by the state PDP chairman Mr. Victor Bala Kona and Senator Bwacha are really pulling the political strings,” an inside source told Weekly Trust in Jalingo.

“The acting governor is under undue pressure to continue with the ailing governor’s political agenda.
This can be seen in the controversial manner he was made to sack two aides and board members for simply attending an event organized by Senator Jummai in Abuja,” he said.

The Suntai’s loyalists, according to an insider, is said not to be happy with the acting governor’s ‘new ways.’ “One of the Abuja-based core Suntai’s loyalists had a cause to complain that the acting governor has visited Vice President Namadi Sambo,” the source said.

“He was quoted as saying that ‘the policy of the state governor (Suntai) is that he has nothing to do with the vice president,” the source said. The source added that it may not be out of place if the loyalists “consider options of dealing with the acting governor which include impeachment.”

But the acting governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kefas Sule, said his boss is “fully in charge performing his duty as acting governor till the return of Governor Suntai. It is all politics. The acting governor has a mandate to hold forte for the governor and he is efficiently doing that without any problem.”

Source: Weekly Trust

Four Policemen Detained in Calabar Over Missing Police Rifle

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Four policemen attached to the Ikot Nakanda police Station in Akpabuyo local government Area headquarters have been in detention since Sunday morning after one of them failed to return his riffle to the armoury which he signed for night duty.

A source in the station told crossriverwatch that the four policemen reported for night duty on Saturday evening and each of them signed for a riffle and proceeded for duty but one of them was alleged to have slept off while on duty and “somebody took away his riffle and when he woke up the next morning pandemonium broke out because he knows what that implies”.

The four policemen who reported to the station the next morning were said to have told Mr. Luis Samba, the Divisional Police Officer of the loss of the firearm and he was said to be bewildered at the negligence of the policemen and ordered their detention until they produce the riffle.

When our reporter visited the police station on Tuesday morning, Mr Samba was said to be away to Calabar but another source said the riffle was yet to be recovered.

“How can four people sleep so deep that a thief could sneak in and remove a riffle without one of them at least waking from the slumber?” the source wondered.

The source which said he suspects foul play said the matter was being investigated at the divisional level and thereafter, “we shall notify the Command headquarters in Calabar if there is no headway here”.
Meanwhile there has been a wave of arrest of area boys in the area with the hope of gathering information that would lead to the recovery of the gun.

“The implication of such a weapon in the hands of hoodlums can only be imagined”. Our source said

D S P John Umoh, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Cross River State Command, said he was not aware of the incident but added if that “Is news worthy?”
Source: Crossriverwatch

Yuletide: Donald Duke’s Hospital Owes Workers 2 years Salaries

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The Women and Children’s Hospital in Calabar, owned by Onari Duke, wife of the erstwhile governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke has remained shut since April 2012.
The salaries of doctors and other paramedical staff sacked since April are still outstanding even as appeals for their money or part to be paid them to enable them meet some needs this yuletide season have gone unheeded.

Some of the laid off staff who spoke to crossriverwatch said that their lives have been miserable since April.

They also alleged that their salaries have been outstanding since October 2010 and that the Dukes have refused to pay them on the excuse that the hospital never made profit.
One of the doctors, a gynaecologist, Dr. George Geh, a sixty four year old Cameroonian whom a source said was lured from Bauchi State where he was in lucrative private medical practice to work for Duke by his ex-commissioner of health, Dr Joe Annah, has since returned to his private practice at a hospital located along Spring Road, Calabar.

He confirmed to crossriverwatch that he was part of the management of the hospital. He also accepted that the hospital has been under lock and key since April 2012 but was hesitant to comment on why the salaries of the staff including his have not been paid since the closure of the hospital.

But another aggrieved former staff of the hospital who accepted to speak with crossriverwatch only on condition of anonymity said “When Duke decided to close down the hospital in April he neither cared about the backlog of salaries of the staff nor their welfare on the excuse that he and his wife were not directly involved in the daily management of the hospital.

“When one of our doctors sent Onari a text message asking for the payment of our outstanding salaries, she sent him a test message which reads, “Doc, since Don and I are not involved in the management of the hospital we will have to resolve your case with the Medical Council.”

Our source said when the doctor persisted and sent another message to Mr. Duke himself who now lives in Lagos with his family, “Duke himself sent him another text message which reads, ‘Doc, you are being unfair. The hospital was not run profitably. You have taken the hospital staff and patients.”
Crossriverwatch attempts to reach the former governor were futile as calls to his phone did not connect and text messages to his phone were also not delivered.

But a close aide of Duke and former commissioner in his administration told crossriverwatch that: “I don’t think oga will even want to react to such stories. The man Dr. Geh who is now talking rubbish up and down was running the hospital. He evacuated all the equipment in the hospital and left with the patients and other competent staff that the hospital had to establish his own.

“Ask Dr. Geh and all those who are talking now how much profit the hospital made under their management of the facility. If they are sure of themselves and their stories, they should come out openly and fight their cause and win public sympathy. It was a deliberate attempt by Dr. Geh to kill the hospital and establish his private practice. Oga was not personally involved in the running of the hospital. He was not part of the management so I don’t think he is the right person to answer your questions”.

The highbrow hospital which was commissioned in 2009, two years after Duke left office is located on the defunct National Republican Convention (N R C) building along the Murtala Mohammed Highway closed to the Ebrutu Barracks in Calabar.

The acquisition of the former National Republican Convention (N R C) property built by the Ibrahim Babangida government; by the former governor for the hospital was subject of fierce conflict and litigation. Many people in the state were displeased with the acquisition which they considered illegal with human rights lawyer, Obono Obla taking Duke to court seeking to stop the use of the place as hospital by the former governor.

Source: Crossriverwatch

Fire Outbreak Around Kakuri, Kaduna State.

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Barely three days to the biggest event in Christendom, a heavy explosion which alleged to be a fire this morning rocked Kaduna even as just as suicide bombers attacked selected targets in neighbouring Kano.

As gathered by 247ureports the Kaduna incident was not a bomb explosion but a fire outbreak around the Kakuri environs in Southern Kaduna.

However some local media have reported that it was explosion that has rocked an old Kaduna Textiles Limited , a massive structure that once housed a famous but now moribund company.

More details soon.

An Address Delivered By His Excellency, Sunday Onyebuchi, Acting Governor Of Enugu State On The Occasion Of The Presentation Of The Year 2013 Budget Proposal

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An Address Delivered By His Excellency, Sunday Onyebuchi, Acting Governor Of Enugu State On The Occasion Of The Presentation Of The Year 2013 Budget Proposal To The Enugu State House Of Assembly On Friday, December 21, 2012

PROTOCOLS

I am quite honoured to address this esteemed audience on the occasion of the presentation of the 2013 Budget of Sustainability. Mr. Speaker, I stand here before you with the deepest sense of gratitude to this Honourable Assembly for your speedy consideration and passage of the 2012 budget into law.

Such collaborative gestures, without doubt, provided the Government the ample opportunity it needed to faithfully implement our policies and programmes to the ultimate benefit of our people. I also want to commend, in a special way, the leadership of the House which has demonstrated uncommon skills in engendering controlled debates since your inauguration.

The philosophy of the 2012 budget underlined the commitment of this administration to consolidate on the gains of the first term while equally breaking new grounds for the overall benefit of our people. The 2013 budget essentially aims at sustaining the gains of the past and prosecuting priority projects in line with our Four-Point Agenda and the needs of our people as articulated under the Visit-Every-Community (VEC) initiative.

This year’s budget, as you will notice in a short while, simply outlines this Government’s well-known desire and efforts about putting our people first, and above all other considerations. We will make the needed sacrifices to serve our people to the best of our abilities because they deserve no less than that.

YEAR 2012 BUDGET
Precisely on December 1, 2012, His Excellency, Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime presented this year’s Budget of Continued Renewal which highlighted Government’s resolve to consolidate on its achievements with the primary focus on better life for our people.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to inform this Honourable House that this year’s budget witnessed significant progress. From physical infrastructure, integrated rural development, health care service delivery, human capital development and the enhancement of security of lives and property, Government achieved a satisfactory percentage of the goals it set for itself.

These accomplishments justified, for instance, that the investments we made in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of urban and rural roads were well deserved. The following road projects have been completed:
*Mgbemena Street with streetlight
*Mbanugo Street with streetlight
*Old Airport Road
*Nike Avenue and Akpabio Street, both in GRA
*CBN Road in Trans-Ekulu
*Umuona and Otas Streets in GRA
*Abakpa Bridge Slip Road
*Presidential Road up to Port Harcourt expressway with streetlight
*Akwata completed with slope stabilization nearing completion
*Zik Avenue and Agbani Road were dualized and completed with streetlight. And lots more.

The following inter-Local Government roads are also in various stages of completion:
*Ugwuogo Nike-Ekwegbe-Opi junction
*9th Mile-Nachi-Oji River-Ugwuoba
*Ugwuogo-Neke-Ikem
*Eke-Ebe-Egede-Affa-Akpakwume-Aku-Nkpologu
*Amaetiti-Achi-Inyi-Awlaw
*9th Mile-Iwollo-Olo-Umulokpa
*Nara-Isiogbo
*Ezi-Abalu-Agbudu-Afia Mmanya
*Ukehe-Aku-Nkpologu
*Amaechi-Amodu-Umueze
*Nsukka-Ibagwa-Aji-Ette
*Nguru-Ede Oballa-Eha Alumona
*Ogrute-Igogoro-Amachalla-Ugbaike-Obollo Afor Road
Government equally funded the procurement of five hundred units of single arm streetlights that had since been installed across the city of Enugu.

Our dream to bequeath a functional public service to the present and future generations can only find true expression if we, as a Government, make deliberate efforts to create a conducive working environment for our public servants. This explains why this Government, after due consultations with the organized labour and other relevant stakeholders, recently commenced the building of a modern new secretariat that will promote efficiency, enthusiasm and dedication to duty when completed. We will complete it on schedule.

Today, I stand bold before all of you to confirm that there are critical road projects being done in virtually all the seventeen Local Government Councils in the three senatorial districts of Enugu State. I hereby restate our pledge to do more.

In education, we invested heavily and shall continue to do so in order to equip our children with the requisite knowledge that they need to compete in the emerging economy. The free basic education policy which covers children in primary and post-primary schools up to JSS III has continued to yield good dividends. Government also procured and distributed three hundred buses to all the public and some missionary secondary schools in order to ease their transportation challenges. In addition, Government carried out massive renovation of schools, provided instructional materials and built numerous facilities at the School for the physically-challenged and other public secondary schools in the state.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable members, the Enugu Polo Park Mall remains a pride to all of us. Only recently, the Ferris-wheel and the Carrousel recreational facilities opened their doors to customers to complement other trading operations long commenced by some globally-acclaimed international retail outlets and other reputable indigenous companies.

To further boost the effectiveness and coverage of the Coal City Cab programme, Government procured and handed over two hundred and twenty taxis to our people in the third phase of the scheme, both to enhance intra-city movement and as a poverty reduction package. Today, our people are better for it.

The different farm yields from the Adani farms and the corresponding farming activities at the Heneke farms, clearly indicate that the Enugu Songhai Initiative is a massive venture that will soon bridge the food gap in our State and ultimately serve as a revenue earner in addition to the employment opportunities it has created since its inception.

Beyond this, our Administration has continued to spend huge sums of funds either as counterpart contributions or to enhance agricultural productivity and access the World Bank-assisted funds for Commercial Agriculture and FADAMA III projects respectively.

I must admit that our efforts in the waste and environmental management have left much to be desired this outgoing year. The good news, however, is that the three mechanized sweepers, one thousand and forty dumpsters and the ten compactors purchased by the Government are to be put to use before the remaining days of this year.

We have consciously continued to build on the gains of the Free Maternal and Child Healthcare programme which has drastically reduced the mortality and morbidity of the affected groups. We shall sustain this success story and there is no looking back! This is, of course, in addition to several health centres that were built and the procurement and distribution of hospital equipment and drugs.

The Enugu State Medical Emergency Response Team (ESMERT) which began full operations this year, has saved many lives from preventable deaths and greatly helped people involved in trauma and other life-threatening emergencies from road traffic accidents, fire incidents, collapsed buildings and other such accidents.

Mr. Speaker sir, Honourable members, the review of the performance of Year 2012 Budget will be incomplete if I do not pinpoint the relevance of the re-introduction of School Sports among the public post-primary institutions in Enugu State. Apart from sharpening the competitive edge of the students and enhancing their health, it will, in future, surely serve as a breeding ground for the discovery of raw but potential sports talents.

I am also glad to report that a total number of 114 rural communities have been connected to the national grid in the life of this administration, with tens of them accomplished in the outgoing year alone. Our target is to give electricity to the remaining 37 out of 472 communities in our State before we quit the stage, and this we must accomplish. Ditto for the provision of potable water where there has been a remarkable improvement in supplies to many rural communities and house connections in the cities, especially in the densely-populated areas of Uwani, Achara Layout and some parts of Zik Avenue, GRA, Independence Layout, among others.

In addition, this Administration spent huge amounts of money as its counterpart contributions in order to be able to access the World Bank-assisted funds for Community and Social Development Projects (CSDP) for the implementation of prioritized multi-sectoral micro-projects that cut across different sectors in selected communities.

In the housing sector, our administration completed three blocks of 108 two-bedroom flats and provision of infrastructural facilities at Maryland Estate, just as work has begun in the Enugu Workers Estate which is a housing scheme for the state civil servants facilitated by the Government. The on-going Enugu Cultural and Tourism Fiesta has become an annual event meant to promote the culture and tourism opportunities which exist in our State.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable members, I crave your indulgence, at this juncture, to present to you the 2013 draft budget through which we shall seek to consolidate on the gains of the past and sustain those ideals that promote strict budgetary implementation and clear-cut improvements over the previous ones.

THE YEAR 2013 BUDGET OF SUSTAINABILITY
In Year 2013, our focus will revolve around completing on-going projects and choosing those people-driven development programmes that are the priority needs of the various constituents in line with Government’s Four-Point Agenda and the Visit-Every-Community report. Consistent with this, we shall refine and refocus our policies and plans to address the core issues which will impact positively on the quality of life of our people. The hallmark of Year 2013 estimate will be strict budget discipline as we shall strive to put in place suitable machinery for effective implementation of the budget.

POLICY THRUST OF THE 2013 BUDGET
The Policy Thrust of the 2013 Budget includes:
(i) Consolidating on the gains of the year 2012 Budget
(ii) Completion of on-going projects
(iii) Increased involvement of the private sector in the development of the State.
(iv) Provision of social and economic infrastructure in the rural and urban areas.
(v) Diversification and intensification of the resource and revenue base of the State.
(vi) Effective collaboration with other tiers and arms of Government for effective service delivery.

THE YEAR 2013 BUDGET SIZE
Mr. Speaker Sir, Honourable members, I present to you our Year 2013 Draft Budget of eighty two billion, nine hundred and thirty one million, seven hundred and eighty thousand naira (N82,931,780,000). This is higher than the 2012 budget size of seventy six billion, four hundred and fifty nine million, seven hundred and thirty nine thousand, seven hundred and seventy six thousand naira (N76,459,739,776) by six billion, four hundred and seventy two million, forty thousand, two hundred and twenty two naira (N6,472,040,224) representing eight per cent increase.

The budget is made up of forty five billion, eight hundred and forty one million, seven hundred and forty one thousand, seven hundred and twenty three naira (N45,841,741,723) as Recurrent Expenditure, which is 55% of the budget size. Thirty seven billion, ninety million, thirty eight thousand, two hundred and seventy seven naira (N37,090,038,277) is for Capital Expenditure, representing 45% of the entire envelope.

RECURRENT REVENUE
The State Government expects a Recurrent Revenue of sixty one billion, three hundred and nine million, nine hundred and twenty two thousand naira (N61,309,922,000) in Year 2013. Government intends to realize this through aggressive internally-generated revenue which is estimated at N14.31billion and our share of Federal Revenue put at forty seven billion naira (N47bn), representing 76.66 per cent.

RECURRENT EXPENDITURE
The estimated Recurrent Expenditure is forty five billion, eight hundred and forty one million, seven hundred and forty one thousand, seven hundred and twenty three naira (N45,841,741,723). Out of this, twenty eight billion, six hundred and sixty nine million, one hundred and forty one thousand, seven hundred and forty one naira (N28,669,141,741) representing 47% has been devoted to personnel costs including Consolidated Revenue Fund charges.

A total sum of eleven billion, forty four million, five hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and eighty two naira (N11,044,599,982) which translates to 18% is for overhead costs whereas six billion, one hundred and twenty eight million naira (N6,128,000,000) which is 10% goes to subventions to parastatals and tertiary institutions.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
The sum of thirty seven billion, ninety million, thirty eight thousand, two hundred and seventy seven naira (N37,090,038,277) is appropriated for capital expenditure in Year 2013.

Permit me, Mr. Speaker and Honourable members, to give brief explanations on some of the sectoral allocations rather than dwell on the fuller details, especially since you have them in the comprehensive proposal before you.

WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Our goal is to sustain the achievements recorded in road construction and rehabilitation by completing all on-going urban and rural road projects while also awarding new ones as the need arises and as funds permit.

As I said earlier, construction is on-going on the new ultra-modern State Secretariat complex which aims to tackle the current accommodation challenges and also provide conducive working environment thereby engendering higher commitment and productivity from our public servants. Work will also begin on the new Governor’s office (Lion Building) in the first quarter of 2013.

Government will complete all the on-going urban roads in Enugu and Nsukka as well as the rural road projects including but certainly not limited to Nara-Isiogbo, Ugwuogo Nike-Opi junction, Amaechi-Amodu-Umueze, Ugwuogo-Neke-Ikem, Amaetiti-Achi-Inyi-Awlaw, 9th Mile-Iwollo-Umulokpa, 9th Mile-Nachi-Ugwuoba and Nguru-Ede Oballa-Eha Alumona.

Within the 2013 fiscal year, work will also continue and be completed on Eke-Ebe-Egede-Akpakume Nze-Nkpologu, Akpasha-Ozalla-Agbogugu-Ihe-Owelli-Awgu as well as Nsukka-Ibagwa-Ogrute-Aji-Ette and Nenwe-Oduma-Okpanku-Mpu-Ndeabor roads.

The underlisted are the new roads that Government has earmarked for execution in the coming year:
*Iheaka-Ibagwa-Itchi-Unadu-Alor Agu
*Agbani-Mbogodo-Ikuokpara
*Nenwe-Oduma-Mpu
*Umulokpa-Adaba-Ukpata-Uvuru-Nkpologu
*Adani-Adarice (Enugu Songhai Farm, Adani)
*Udi-Amokwe-Obeleagu Umana-Imezi Owa-Mgbagbu Owa
*Milken Hill-Ngwo
*Imilike-Ezimo Uno-Imilike Agu-Ogboduaba-Obollo Etiti-Obollo Afor
*Amechi Idodo-Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu, and
*Agbani-Ugbawka-Nara-Nkerefi.

To accomplish these set goals, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure has received an allocation of N11.35 billion in the 2013 budget which represents 30.6% of the entire capital budget of the State.

AGRICULTURE
As the mainstay of our people and a major source of job and wealth creation, the importance of agriculture to our well-being as a State cannot be over-emphasized. That clearly explains why the Government has continued to invest heavily in material and human capital development in agriculture especially through the Enugu Songhai Initiative which promotes integrated modern agriculture and guarantees our much-desired food security, increased revenue generation and the employment of our growing youth population.

In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture was allocated the sum of N1.09 billion in the 2013 budget. Emphasis will be on the procurement of agricultural inputs and machineries for the Heneke and Adani Farms as well as the development of the 17 green cities.

The State Agricultural Development Agency also received an allocation of N299.2 million to enable it prosecute its agricultural extension services to farmers. The sum of N254.95 million has been set aside for the State College of Agriculture and Agro-entrepreneurship, Iwollo to help in the provision of agricultural facilities and effective running of the school which is expected to produce the needed manpower for the State.

EDUCATION
The importance of education was so aptly captured by His Excellency, Governor Chime during our inauguration for our second term in office on May 29, 2011 when he said, and I quote: “We cannot secure the future of our State if we do not equip our children to compete in the knowledge economy by providing them with the best education that our resources can afford,” (unquote). The above underscores the upward review in Government’s investment in the education sub-sector in the 2013 budget.
Having already successfully conducted the 2011/2012 annual school census and employed thousands of tutorial and non-tutorial staff in both our primary and post-primary schools, it must be a thing of immense joy to us all to know that our free education for pupils from primary school to Junior Secondary School III has continued to make functional and qualitative education accessible to our children.

It is, therefore, not surprising that the education sub-sector has a total allocation of N4.47 billion in the 2013 budget. This covers allocations to the Ministry of Education, State Universal Education Board, the Post-Primary School Management Board, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), College of Education (Technical) and the Science & Vocational Schools Management Board.

We shall continue with the construction of new classroom blocks and the rehabilitation of existing ones in the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the State in our quest to create the right teaching and learning environment in the schools. Government will continue with the provision of other teaching aids including the computerization of our public secondary schools and the upgrade of thirty four schools to have boarding facilities.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this Government has vowed that henceforth, when our children go to their respective schools, they shall sit on stable school desks and in proper classrooms and that they will be taught by qualified teachers who are employed to teach them. We will put in place an effective monitoring mechanism to ensure that these objectives are consistently achieved.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
This administration, like I pointed out earlier, made substantial progress in this area in the outgoing year. Out of the total number of 472 communities in Enugu State, only 37 of them from eleven Local Government Areas have no electricity at all. We are poised to connect these 37 communities to the national grid by the end of next year.

The benefitting communities are as listed below:
Ado-agbalatu, Awgunta, Agunese Ugwueme, Nenwenta, Eziobu Ugwueme and Eziama Ogbaku from Awgu Local Government Area; Amofia Agu Affa and Amaukwu Affa (Udi Local Government Area); Amankanu, Obodo Uvuru, Eziama Amechi Idodo and Ohuani Amechi Idodo (Nkanu East).

Others include Agu Ukehe, Udueme and Ugwunaoda from Igbo-Etiti; Odega Ette, Umuadonu Owo, Ubere Ette and Ebi-Ega Ette (Igbo-Eze North); Akpugo Ezedike, Ezikolo, Nkpunato and Ukpata (Uzo-Uwani); Ihenyi Agaramaa from Isi-Uzo Local Goverment Area.

The rest benefitting communities are Obeagu Oduma, Amagu Oduma and Amokwe Oduma from Aninri; Umuaji Mgbagbuowa and Owha Ndiagu (Ezeagu) and Agu Orba in Udenu. From Nsukka Local Government Area are Utobolo, Anuka, Eha Azuabo, Ogbozalla Opi, Ibagwa Agu, Ezebunagu and Ogbagu Obukpa.

Consequently, the sum of N2.588 billion will be spent on the integrated rural development programme within the 2013 fiscal year by both the Rural Electrification Board and Ministry of Rural Development.

OTHERS
With a total vote of N3.58 billion for the health sub-sector, our administration will continue to make the healthcare delivery system one of its top priorities as enshrined in our Four-point Agenda. The success of the Free Maternal Child Healthcare programme gives us the encouragement to make commensurate investment. Work is on-going at the ultra-modern Enugu Diagnostic Centre and I want to reaffirm the commitment of this Government to its speedy completion so that our doctors will have access to the right facilities that will enable them to know what ailments afflict our people.

To sustain the successes recorded in the Free Maternal and Child Healthcare programme, the upgrade of our district hospitals and the employment, training and retraining of our health workers, the State Ministry of Health has an allocation of N3.44 billion while the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane and the Enugu State Action Committee on AIDS (ENSACA) were allocated N134.5 million and N8.5 million respectively.

In addition to other interventions from water service providers, the State Government has budgeted N1.08 billion for urban and rural water supply within the period under review. We have begun to refine Government’s strategies to ensure that the Iyioku Water Scheme, the 9th Mile Crash Programme, the Nsukka Water Scheme, the rural water schemes and other reticulation efforts provide our people steady water supply wherever they live.

Out of the above sum, the State Water Corporation has an allocation of N645 million while the Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) got N413.5 million respectively. The State Government has also made adequate provision for the payment of the State counterpart fund contribution for CSDP to enable the Agency complete all the on-going micro-projects in 120 communities in the State and also fund two hundred and fifty (250) micro-projects in one hundred and twenty (120) communities in the State during this fiscal year.

In the area of tourism, Government has finalized arrangements for the establishment of a zoological garden and an amusement park in addition to sustaining the Enugu Cultural and Tourism Fiesta as an annual event.

The School Sports Festival which re-emerged on the school calendar this year has come to stay. We have made adequate provisions that will make it grow from strength to strength, year to year. The Enugu State Traffic Management Authority will also begin operations as Government will procure and deploy more traffic-lights for more efficient traffic control on our roads.

At this point, I want to make it explicitly clear that as you will notice in the details of the budget proposals, we have made commensurate provisions for all the other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to reflect their specific needs and empower them to accomplish their set goals.

CONCLUSION
Mr. Speaker Sir, Honourable members, this is the true picture of our dream for 2013. It may not have addressed all our aspirations and expectations but I strongly believe that it has touched on those priorities that will benefit the generality of our people. I have, therefore, come to place this budget proposal before you with optimism that you will, as our worthy partners in the governance of our dear State, give it accelerated consideration and passage so that we can begin to implement its provisions in earnest.

A cursory look at the flipside of the coin reveals that if we must sustain the tempo of our development initiatives, all of us must, in equal measure, manage and deploy our lean resources prudently and wisely. The time calls for such sacrifices and adjustments from us all.

Our Government has continued to receive overwhelming support and fervent prayers from our friends and citizens. And to all of you, we offer our gratitude. We thank you for always being there for us. We pledge, in return, our commitment to transparent and dedicated service as we invite all hands on deck to make that Enugu State of our collective dream.

The times may be harsh. The funds at our disposal may not match our aspirations. But with your support and with God’s guidance, we shall triumph and have every cause to celebrate at last.

My dear brothers and sisters, it is just few days to the yuletide. So, it gladdens me to wish all our people a merry Christmas in advance and a prosperous Year 2013 ahead.

Thank you and may God bless you and bless Enugu State.

SUNDAY CHIDI ONYEBUCHI
ACTING GOVERNOR, ENUGU STATE

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