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.”

A gang of kidnappers and a group of cultist arrested

The Nigerian Police said that it has arrested a gang of kidnappers and a group of cultist.

The Police said that on On the 26th of February 2016 a gang of kidnappers operating between Ajah in Lagos State and Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State were on their way to Ijebu-Ode Ogun State to kidnap a yet to be identified expatriate a team of Police men were detailed to intercept the gang.

At Ijebu-Ode/Benin expressway by Mobalufon the gang surfaced in a white coloured Toyota Camry car with Reg. No. EKY 204 BG and the five man gang were arrested. Suspects are; Godwin Forojoh, aka Baddo, aged 25 years, Dimeji Oluwaseun, aka Legacy, aged 36 .years, Saheed Bilesanmi, aged 23 years, Lucky Peter, aged 32 years and Lucky Oba, aka Kcee, aged 23 years.

The suspects confessed to have kidnapped one white man and two Nigerians amongst others including one Alhaji Modiu Rabiu, aged 80 years at Ijebu-Ode and till date they collected a total of N14,000,000 in ransom money. Recovered from the suspects are; 2 locally made pistols, 6 live cartridges and charms

Also on the 28th February, Police personnel attached to IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested one Magnus Atapia, the second in command to Igbudu cult group and Ndubuisi Gerald, of Icelander.

The duo was arrested for various incidents of kidnappings and murder cases in Ahoada including the murder of one Mrs. Orluete Okpara,of Ula-Upata Community in Ahoada East LGA of Rivers State on the 20th Feb, and razing down of houses of one Chief Henry Abidhi, Chief Vincent Ede and Inspr. Ifeanyi Ede in Ogbo Community in Ahoada East LGA.

While on stop and search duty on the 28 Feb, along Otukpo Road, Ankpa Police personnel arrested one Isah Yahaya, aged 27 years, of Ojoku with a locally made shot gun and a live cartridge.The suspect confessed to be part of an armed robbery gang.Case under investigation.