APC govs tackles Buhari over N5000 stipends for youths

A crack may have developed among the ranks of the governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as Governor Tanko Umaru Al-makura of Nasarawa State and his Imo State counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, yesterday took different positions in their reaction to President Muhamnadu Buhari’s decision to ditch the N5000 unemployment benefits to Nigerians, The Guardian reported.

The governors gave their opinions separately yesterday while speaking with reporters after their meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja.

To Al-makura, the President has the prerogative to so review any policy at any given time and his decision stands in as much as it is to the best interest of the nation.

According to the Nasarawa governor, “the President is the person that can tell you precisely how he is working on campaign promises and interventions that he has created, using his ingenuity. And if at any point in time, the President is reviewing that issue, I think he is the only person that can do so in the best interest of the country. And so, it is not challengeable by anybody whatever his position.” In the report.

He, therefore, called on Nigerians to give the benefit of doubt to enable him implant the laudable agenda that he has for Nigerians.

While Okorocha, who is Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) agreed with the President on the need to improve on infrastructure to boost productivity, he, however, believed that, one way or the other, the APC campaign promises must be fulfilled to the people.

“To be honest with you, it is a great idea, but there are many ways to give that support. Sometimes, it could be in cash which has its own challenges. Handling of that is also in itself a wonderful and great idea,” he said.

The President had declared in Saudi Arabia, during a meeting with a select group of Nigerian community in Makkah that, rather than paying the N5000 as canvassed by his party on the heels of the presidential election, he would instead focus on repairing infrastructures such as roads, bridges, schools, among others.

Committee On Appropraition Ends Collation of Reports on 2016 Budget - Rep

The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation has formally closed the collation of reports on the 2016 budget from Standing Committees.

This is contained in a statement issued by Rep. Abdulmumini Jibrin, (APC-Kano) Chairman, Committee on Appropriation and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja. He said that the committee would appropriate funds to Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) supervised by substantive committees that failed to present their 2016 budget defence reports. Jubrin listed the committees to include Public Accounts, Loans, Aids and Debts Committee, Committee on Gas Resources, Public Service Matters Committee, Maritime and Safety Committee, Interior Committee and Committee on National Security‎. He said that only 60 substantive committees met the Feb. 26 deadline of presenting their budget defence reports and recommendations, covering improvements, shortcomings and actions to be taken in their respective MDAs.

“Due to pressure of time we have to tidy up the final report with the Senate.

“The Committee on Appropriation will have to take over the work of committees that failed to present their reports by appropriating funds for the MDAs that they supervise.

“The committee will also interface with officials of the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office on March 3 to fine tune the reports,’’ the lawmaker said.

The chairman commended the 60 substantive committees for their cooperation and for heeding the call to submit their reports within the deadline.

“This is for the overall interest of the nation and the commitment of the National Assembly to pass the 2016 budget, latest by the second week of March,” Jibrin said.

(NAN)

Pakistan anti-blasphemy law gov killer dead by hanging

Pakistan has hanged the assassin of a governor who sought to reform the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, officials and supporters said
Mumtaz Qadri – feted as a hero by many supporters – was executed at a prison in Rawalpindi.

“I can confirm that Qadri was hanged in Adialia jail early yesterday morning,” police official Sajjid Gondal told the AFP.

Qadri, a bodyguard of Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, shot him dead in the capital, Islamabad, in 2011.

Dozens of rangers and police in riot gear, as well as ambulances, were stationed outside Qadri’s home in the city early yesterday.

During his trial, Qadri’s legal defence was that Taseer opposed Pakistan’s so-called blasphemy laws by supporting Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who was charged with allegedly desecrating Islam’s holy book, the Quran.

Engineers Are Warn Not To Give Bribe To Influence The Award Of Contracts

Chairman, Engineering Society of Nigeria (Abuja)

After a successful test, exams, and other prerequisite, Engineers were satisfied and were charged to obey all code of ethics for engineering practice in Nigeria.

In line with one of the present administration’s cardinal point, to fight corruption, Engineers were charged not to offer or receive bribe to influence the award of a contract, And comparing take home at the end of the month, they want the Federal Government to look into it.

The Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Yakubu Garba said, “In order to stamp out corruption completely, the salary of the Engineers should be looked into”.

Observers say workers salary must be reasonable as it will go a long way in the successful fight against corruption.

N1.69 trillion Rail Contract Scam:Reps summon contractors, ex-minister

The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the N1.69 trillion railway rehabilitation contracts has invited former Minister of Transport, Isa Bio Ibrahim; Department of State Service (DSS), Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and 27 contractors allegedly involved in the misappropriation of the fund, The Guardian reported.

Chairman of the committee, Johnson Agbonayinma, has however denied that his committee has submitted an interim report of the investigation to the House.

The committee disclosed that those invited are expected to appear before it on Thursday to explain their respective roles in the management of funds made available by the Federal Government to revamp the railway sector.

According to a source close to the committee, the DSS was specifically invited to give details of the recommendations it made to the office of the SGF on how the contracts were poorly managed between 2010-2014, while the SGF on the other hand is expected to explain what happened to the report submitted to it by the DSS, in the report.

On the former minister, the source said: “As you can see, the man has a lot to tell the committee because he kick-started the whole process in the first place.

“As for the acting Managing Director of NRC, government is a continuum and he has to give account of what he knows under oath, and produce all the contractors. The contractors too must tell the committee all they have done with convincing evidence of the state of the contracts they executed.”