Bwari Council To Commence Rehabilitation Of Township Roads -Chairman 

Bwari Council To Commence Rehabilitation Of Township Roads -Chairman 

The Chairman, Bwari Area Council, Mr John Gabaya, has said the council is set to commence rehabilitation of township roads and other construction projects. Gabaya said this in his remarks at the Bid Opening for Critical Projects event on Friday in Bwari, Abuja. The chairman, represented by the council’s Vice Chairman, Mr Aminu Musa, said that companies that would be awarded the contract would be expected to commence work immediately. “There are nine projects in the contract, which are: purchase of a brand-new Toyota Corolla salon car for the office of the Council’s Legislative Speaker. “Reconstruction of Bwari township road from the T-junction to the National Defense College, Ushafa and the purchase of a new Toyota Hiace bus for the council staff. “The construction of public toilets within the council secretariat and fencing, landscaping of the old abattoir building in Bwari town. “Reconstruction of asphalt overlay from Dutse-Alhaji-Koro Road to Dutse- power line road, and construction of asphalt overlay at old Bwari-Zuma Road from Sarkin Bwari’s palace roundabout to Water Board/ Zuma roundabout,’’ Gabaya said. Others, he mentioned are the construction of asphalt overlay of the road from the council secretariat gate to Briton Woods Hotel and Resort in Bwari town and the construction of asphalt overlay of Gaba-Shere-Kawu road, Phase 2. Gabaya said that all the roads would include the construction of concrete drainage. Speaking, the Council Secretary, Mr Eli Kadanya, said that the bids were already advertised in two daily newspapers on Aug. 3, in accordance with the Public Procurement Act, 2007. Kadanya said that interested companies must tender evidence of certificate of incorporation issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). He added that the companies must also have evidence of their income tax clearance certificate for the last three years, valid till Dec. 31, among other basic requirements. The secretary also noted that bidders were not expected to bid for more than two slots as violators would be disqualified from all the lots. He noted that the council is not bound to pre-qualify or shortlist any bidder and reserved the right to annul the procurement process at any time. Kadanya said this is without incurring any liabilities in accordance with section 28 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. Mr Peter Kadanya, a representative of the Area Council Secretariat, FCT, who observed the process, commended the council for a well-planned procedure. He advised that in the future, the bids should be sorted out according to their lots for easy and seamless process. Representative of various companies, Heads of Departments of the council, Supervisory councilors and staff of the council attended the event. 

Oyetola directs immediate rehabilitation of Apapa, Tin-Can Ports

Oyetola directs immediate rehabilitation of Apapa, Tin-Can Ports

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for an immediate rehabilitation of the Apapa and Tin-Can ports in Lagos State, Nigeria. The Minister said this at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Headquarters in Lagos in a meeting with the Management and Staff of the Agency shortly after an inspection of facilities at the Lagos Port Complex. Oyetola, who decried the poor state of the collapsed quay sections of the ports noted that the Federal Government understands the importance of ports as it relates to the nation’s economic development hence, stressed the need for immediate commencement of infrastructural renewal of ports across the country. On the need to decongest the ports, the Minister disclosed that he was made to understand that about 6000 containers dating back to 2011 have been abandoned at the ports. According to him, such an act is a hindrance to better service delivery. He therefore, enjoined NPA to synergize with the Nigeria Customs and auction such containers. In addition, Oyetola stated that the current practice of physical examination of containers at the ports was an aberration and called for the deployment of scanners at all terminals. Speaking on the need to rehabilitate the ports access roads and movement to facilitate evacuation of freight through rail from the Apapa port, Oyetola promised to engage the Ministers of Works and Transportation to proffer solutions to these challenges. Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, while welcoming the Minister on his maiden visit to the Agency, expressed optimism that his appointment will herald and provide the needed support for the Agency to amongst other things, secure the needed funds and approvals for the construction and rehabilitation of ports infrastructure in the country, restore 24 hour navigation at the Eastern port as well as work out modalities for increased patronage and bottlenecks affecting the Eastern ports.

Flooding: Don’t dump wastes in drainages, Gombe SEMA warns residents

Flooding: Don’t dump wastes in drainages, Gombe SEMA warns residents

 The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has appealed to residents of the state to heed all precautionary measures on flooding as a way of mitigating its impact in their communities. The Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Gombe SEMA, Mr. Mohammed Garba, made the appeal in Gombe on Monday. Garba said the agency has been sensitizing the people and providing the necessary information needed to mitigate disasters associated with flooding. He said that part of what the agency expected from residents was to stop dumping wastes in drainages and waterways, “a major factor contributing to flooding, especially when drainages are blocked and the huge volume of water create different routes for itself”. The director said that the recent flooding experienced on May 14, in Bajoga in Funakaye Local Government Areas, was partly a result of wastes dumped in drainages. He explained that SEMA’s analysis of the flooding in Bajoga showed that the damage was severe as both residents and houses were affected. “There is a location where we have a big gully developing as a result of the volume of water, and this happened because residents dump their wastes inside the drainages in that area. “As a result of that flooding in Bajoga, more than 40 houses were affected and no fewer than 21 persons were injured. “This is why we are appealing to residents to cooperate with us and stop dumping wastes in drainages or building on waterways. “Through community efforts, drainages blocked should be cleared so that rainwater can flow freely in the channels provided for such purposes,” he said. On the flood outlook for Gombe State, the director said that unlike in 2022 when one LGA was predicted to experience flooding, in 2023, Balanga, Nafada, and Yamaltu/Deba LGAs were among the 178 LGAs in 32 states “highly probable to flooding”. “The stake is a bit higher than that of the previous year and that is why we are engaging critical stakeholders to continue with the sensitization and engagement to mitigate flood impact in the state.” The director said that the massive sensitization campaign was ordered by Governor Inuwa Yahaya after an analysis of the flood outlook. Garba said that based on the directive, sensitization had been intensified across the three LGAs, while efforts were on to cover other areas across the state. He added that the message of the sensitization had always been on the need for people to desist from building on waterways and dumping wastes in drainages. “No one can stop flooding entirely but we can all mitigate its impact,” he said.