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Reps Committee Uncovers BPP Director Born In 1996, Employed In 1992

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The House of Representatives on Thursday uncovered a worker in the Bureau of Public Procurement said to have been born in 1996 but was employed in 1992.

The management of the BPP appeared before the House Committee in Public Procurement for 2021 budget defense, where a member, Mr Nicholas Ossai, called the attention of the lawmakers to his discovery on the bureau’s nominal roll, asking the Director-General, Mamman Ahmadu, to explain the irregularity.

Ossai said, “On personnel, a female staff of the bureau named Lantewa Fatsuma Lawal, the Deputy Director, Accounts, with the date of birth as 08/01/1996 received her first appointment on 15/12/1992; that is four years before her date of birth.”

A copy of the BPP’s nominal roll sited after the session has Lawal’s date of birth as 08/01/1996 and her employment date as 01/01/192.

Lawal, who is from Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State, was promoted Deputy Director (Accounts) on Grade Level 16 on 01/01/2019, with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Post-Graduate Diploma.

Ahmadu and other officials of the BPP, however, said there was an error in the dates, making the lawmakers to resolve to carry out an oversight visit to the bureau while demanding more documents.

Asking a series of questions, Ossai quoted Ahmadu as saying N190.3m was given to the BPP for capital expenditure.

On BPP’s Overhead, Ossai recalled that the DG, in his presentation, said the sum of N240.8m had been committed to pending liabilities but the details provided only contained details amounting to N203.6m.

The lawmaker also said while the bureau spent about N22m on welfare packages in 2019, the same amount had been spent as of October 2020.

“Explanation should be provided for the increase in welfare packages and items that made up the welfare packages as well as the beneficiaries,” he said.

Ossai also asked the BPP boss to explain the N17 million spent on legal services as of October, even as he demanded details of the matters for which the services were engaged.

Another member of the committee, Dachung Bagos, also raised an issue on the proposal surveillance of ongoing Federal Government projects for which about N38m was allocated while BPP still had a balance of N38 million.

He said, “If one of your core duties is to supervise government projects, it means that from January to now, who has been supervising all the government projects and handling surveillance on them?”

Responding, Ahmadu said, “We have procured some of the procurement audits and we have submitted the same to you for this year. I think the second one is in the process of production.”

 

BIG STORY

Lagos State Government To Concession Red And Blue Line Rails For Sustainability, Loan Repayment

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The Lagos State Government has announced plans to concession the operations of the Red and Blue Line rail systems to the private sector in order to ensure their sustainability and repay loans taken for the rail projects.

This announcement was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a recent TVC News interview, where he discussed the measures being implemented to ensure the continued viability of the state’s rail systems.

Osiyemi explained that the concessioning process would involve transferring the operations of the rail systems to private sector players for a defined period. This approach is intended to ensure the continued operation and effective management of the rail projects.

“The ultimate game is for all our rail systems we’ve done—that is, the Red Line and Blue Line—there is going to be some concessionairing with the private sector for a period of time to ensure sustainability and continuity,” he stated.

He added, “The concessioning would help pay back the loans taken for the rail projects.”

The commissioner emphasized that the concessioning strategy aims to ensure efficient operations and long-term financial sustainability, in line with the state’s vision for a world-class transportation network.

  • More Insight

Osiyemi further highlighted the substantial financial and technical challenges involved in operating rail systems, describing them as capital-intensive projects that require significant resources and specialized expertise.

To tackle these challenges and build local capacity, he noted that the Lagos State Government has enlisted foreign partners to temporarily manage the operations of the trains.

These partners are expected to not only ensure smooth operations during their tenure but also transfer critical skills to Nigerian personnel. The plan includes a structured training program lasting one to two years, after which the management of the rail systems will be fully handed over to local operators.

“What we have done is we have consulted foreign partners who, of course, would run these trains for a particular period of time and train our people—that is, transfer of skills.”

“They will train our people for one to two years, then hand over for our own management,” Osiyemi explained.

  • Things You Should Know

The Lagos State Government, under its Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan, has set out an ambitious vision to develop a network of rail systems across the state.

Currently, only the first phases of the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems have been completed, with passenger services already in operation.

The Blue Line is a 27km electric rail line designed for sustainable operations. Its first phase, covering 13km from Lagos Marina to Mile 2, was completed in 2023 and began commercial operations in September, carrying over 2 million passengers to date.

The Red Line, spanning 37km from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, operates on diesel. Its first phase, a 27km stretch, includes eight strategically located stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.

The construction of the second phases of both the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems is being managed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which also oversees the operation of the trains.

Beyond the Red and Blue Lines, the state has plans for additional rail systems, including the 68km Green Line (Lekki Free Trade Zone to Marina), the 85.7km Purple Line (Redemption Camp to Ojo), the 48km Orange Line (Ikeja CBD to Agbowa), and the Yellow Line, all aimed at enhancing the state’s transportation network.

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BIG STORY

Lagos Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab Condoles With Families Of Epe Accident Victims

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Condolence Message from the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred in our community, Epe, claiming the lives of two promising young adults, a dedicated tricycle driver, and leaving several other people injured. This heartbreaking accident has left our hearts heavy, as we mourn the loss of these young souls who were full of hope and dreams, and an industrious individual who worked tirelessly for his livelihood.

As a member of this community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends affected by this terrible loss. I can only imagine the pain you must feel, and I want you to know that you are not alone in this moment of grief.

Let us honor the memories of these individuals by advocating for safety and awareness on our roads. As we move forward, may we find comfort in community and strength in one another. May their souls rest in peace, and may their families find solace and healing in the days to come.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Monday Okpebholo Sworn In As Edo State Governor

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Monday Okpebholo, a serving senator, has been sworn in as the governor of Edo State.

Okpebholo took his oath of office at about 1pm on Tuesday during the inauguration ceremony in Benin, the state capital.

As the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo won the September 21 off-cycle governorship election in the state.

He polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 247,274 votes.

Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), came third with 22,763 votes.

Dennis Idahosa was also sworn in as the deputy governor of Edo.

Dignitaries, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, chair of the governors’ forum; Philip Shaibu, reinstated deputy governor of Edo; and other governors from the party, were present as Okpebholo took the oath of office.

The new governor later rode in an open-top van around the stadium, acknowledging cheers from supporters.

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