Today's Headlines: Group Back Wike On Abuja Land Demolition, Senate probes public procurement under Buhari

Groups back Wike on Abuja land demolition

Photo Credit: Punch paper

Scores of demonstrators on Wednesday threw their weight behind the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his threat of demolition of illegal structures in Abuja.

According to the groups, the former governor of Rivers State was merely assuring Nigerians that he would follow due process to restore the Abuja master plan.

The minister had stirred the hornet’s nest when he vowed to demolish houses illegally constructed in the nation’s capital during a press briefing at his new office in Abuja on Monday.

The threat had sent shivers down the spine of many residents in the FCT, with many alleging that the former Rivers governor may toe the path of ex-FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai, who demolished many structures in his bid to sanitise Abuja.

However, the protesters under the aegis of The Natives backed Wike, saying the panic over the minister’s alleged threat of demolition should not unsettle residents of the FCT.

Senate probes public procurement under Buhari

Photo Credit: Punch paper

The National Assembly will investigate activities of the procurement system in Nigeria since 2019 to correct the mistakes of the past and regain the confidence of the public in the procurement system, the Chairman, the Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Senator Monday Okpebholo, said on Wednesday.

He said Nigeria would get better procurement exercise that would define the renewed hope for the country.

Photo Credit: Google

The legislator expressed this optimism few days after the inauguration of a new cabinet by President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, contrary to what obtained in the past when many things about contracts were not done well, due processes would now be followed, while only qualified persons would get the contract they applied for in the new dispensation.

Okpebholo, representing Edo Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, stated these in an interview with journalists in Abuja during a reception organised in honour of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Momoh.

He said the senate committee was set up to ensure that Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government were aligned to a new paradigm shift, where ordinary Nigerians could bid and win contracts unlike what was obtainable in the past.

He said the idea of MDAs calling for bids and lining people conducting a rigorous exercise, only to be disappointed with a bias selection, was wicked and unacceptable.

Biden ‘not surprised’ by reports of plane crash in Russia

Photo Credit: The Guardian Nigeria

U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on Wednesday that reports saying Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet that crashed was not surprising.

Senate to investigate procurement fraud in MDAs under Buhari

Photo Credit: The Cable

The Senate Committee Chairman on Public Procurement, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has vowed that the era of procurement fraud in federal government’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) has come to an end with the coming of the 10th Senate.

He, therefore, said the upper chamber will investigate activities in the procurement system since 2019 under former president Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, with the inauguration of the cabinet by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerians should expect a better procurement experience that will define the renewed hope for all citizens.

The lawmaker, who also represents Edo Central senatorial district, stated this during an interview with journalists during the reception of the newly sworn-in Minister of Niger Delta, Alhaji Abubakar Momoh, in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that his committee was set up to ensure that MDAs were aligned to a new paradigm shift, where ordinary Nigerians can bid and win contracts, unlike what was obtainable.

“Many wrongs will be corrected. We want to make sure that only qualified persons get the contract job they tendered for”, he stated.

He said that the idea of MDAs calling for bids and lining people up to a rigorous exercise only for them to be disappointed with a bias selection is wicked and unacceptable.

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