Today's Headlines: Umahi assumes office, pledges speedy completion of road contracts, Niger coup: Abdulsalami delivers military junta terms to ECOWAS.

Umahi assumes office, pledges speedy completion of road contracts.

According to Vanguard news, The newly appointed Minister for Works, Senator David Umahi has assumed office amidst jubilation. He pledged speedy completion of works across the country.

Umahi, the immediate past Governor of Ebonyi State while addressing staff of the Ministry alongside contractors handling various projects in the country promised to replicate his exploits as Governor in Ebonyi State in the area infrastructure.

The Minister while decrying the worrisome state of federal roads across the country said the Ministry of Works under his watch will explore various gray areas of using local contents in the area of road construction, which include but not limited to use of concrete pavement.

He said the Ministry shall in the near future adopt the Public Private Partnership, PPP which will enable private sector participation in construction of federal roads and running same for a period of time.

The Minister however said the issue of tolling the federal highways would be brought to the front burner, adding that what the Ministry was concerned more about was the speedy completion of various road contracts across the country.

Niger coup: Abdulsalami delivers military junta terms to ECOWAS.

According to Vanguard news, The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Envoy to Niger Republic, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Tuesday formally presented the terms given by the military junta to the sub-region for the settlement of the political crisis in the country.

This is as Gen. Abubakar has given the assurances that the crisis is not likely to deteriorate beyond diplomacy.

Abubakar, who is a former Nigerian Military Head of State, spoke to journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS.

In attendance at the meeting were the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, and the National Security Adviser, NSA, to the President, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

GAS: Akwa Ibom Community in Abuja lauds Tinubu over Ekpo’s appointment.

According to Vanguard news, Akwa Ibom Community in Abuja has praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing their son, Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo as the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (GAS), stating that Ekpo’s appointment will bring the needed growth and development in the gas sector.

The President of the Akwa Ibom Community in Abuja, Barrister Aniefiok Ibah who stated this during his address at a welcome ceremony for Ekpo in Abuja, noted that as a state with major natural gas reserves, President Tinubu’s choice for the sector was the right one.

“Without sounding immodest, permit me to say that this appointment is well deserved and comes at a time the world over is transiting from petrol economy to an industrial era driven by gas and associated technology because of the peculiar advantages to the world’s climate.

“Moreso, this appointment of our son is strategic considering the fact that Akwa Ibom State is one of the states abundantly blessed with gas resources to the point that it is under-utilized due to the hitherto lack of governance and policy framework on gas resources, exploration and administration.

Palliatives: Oborevwori approves N10, 000 monthly payment for 50,196 workers.

According to Vanguard news, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, has approved the payment of N10, 000 to 50,196 workers in the state public service for the next three months to cushion the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and the downward spiral of the naira against the dollar.

Oborevwori who announced the approval on Tuesday while swearing-in 26 Commissioners into the State Executive Council, said the payment would start from August, adding that the staff figure included employees of the ten higher institutions in the state.

 He also approved that workers from salary grade Levels 1-14 should run shifts, with first batch Mondays to Wednesdays and second batch, Thursday to Friday.

He said: “This schedule will be implemented on a rotational basis. Those who work from Monday-Wednesday in one week will work Thursday to Friday the following week to ensure fairness and equity. The schedule for officers from salary grade Levels 15 and above is to be worked out by the various MDAs as it is suitable for them.

Photo Credit: Google.

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