Buhari salutes veteran broadcaster, Sola Atere at 66

President Muhammadu jas shared in the joy of the occasion as former Acting Director General of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and Executive Director, News, Sola Atere, turns 66, with a remarkable history of serving four Nigerian leaders at the Presidential Villa.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said Buhari joined family, friends and professional colleagues in celebrating the renowned State House correspondent for over 15 years, who served President Ibrahim Babangida, worked as spokesperson of the Chairman Transition Council and Head of the Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan and continued as State House correspondent for President Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’adua for a period.

President Buhari the statement said, believed Atere’s versatility in broadcasting and reporting, starting from 1981, paved the way for so many responsibilities at the highest level of government, and the warmth and trust he earned from the leaders opened more opportunities, retiring in 2017 as one of the most travelled and experienced journalists, with many recognitions and awards for his diligence.

As Atere clocks 66, President Buhari congratulated the veteran broadcaster for mentoring many talents in the country, and supervising the birth of several private broadcasting stations, encouraging excellence and high moral standards that have attracted the global spotlight to journalism in Nigerian, the statement noted.

The President prayed that Atere and his family will always enjoy God’s favour of good health, strength and wisdom.

PMB commission’s N9.5bn FHA’s 748 housing units in Abuja

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

President Muhammadu Buhari has to commissioned 9.5billion Naira 748 housing units constructed by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in Zuba, in the Federal Captial Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Commissioning the project,Buhari said the completion of the estate was part of his administration’s policies to take Nigerians away from poverty.

The president, who lauded the board and management of FHA for the project, urged it to complete other projects it is handling across the country, and called on the beneficiaries to live harmoniously, and to maintain the asset adequately,

He said: “Today, I want to express my sincere appreciation to the chairman, board, and staff of the Federal Housing Authority for the successful completion of this estate. The commitment of this government is to make life better for our people.

“The new owners who benefitted from this estate have taken a step up the prosperity and away from poverty. They will remember the services rendered to them by building this estate. Of course, I am mindful that there is more to do for our community to benefit, I can only urge you (FHA) not to relent but to continue in the same vein and complete other projects going on in other states.

“One of the measures that we have partially deployed to reduce poverty, create prosperity, and develop our economy is aggressively developing our infrastructure. I convey my heartfelt congratulations to the new owners of this estate.

“I urge you all to live together, harmoniously and peacefully. Above all to work consciously with the Federal Housing Authority to ensure that this estate is properly maintained and the environment made safe for all”.

Also speaking, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who said the grant for the project was approved in 2018, disclosed that over 13,000 workforces benefited from the project directly and indirectly from 75 contractors.

He said beneficiaries of the estate include those who paid through a mortgage, one-off payment, and rent-to-own.

“The completion of the project indicates our commitment not to leave abandoned projects. Its construction gave employment to Nigerians including artisans and food vendors who frequent the area to make money for themselves and their families.

“Instead of an abandoned project, we now have 746 housing units for Nigerians and their families to shelter in. But this is more than a story on shelter and homeownership, it is to that small story, I want to go into. Many artisans and laborers, over 13,000 also have a story of inclusion and opportunity to tell about this estate.

“All of these people have a story to tell about the Zuba Housing Estate from transporters, food vendors and their families and the government policies to lift people out of poverty. Although they will not meet you (the president) personally, your policies and programmes have met them personally at point of need”, Fashola said.

Earlier, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who said the project was one of the Federal Government’s initiatives to address housing challenges, had explained that the estate consists of 336 units of one-bedroom flats; 264 units of two-bedrooms; 128 units of three bedrooms; and 20units of three bedroom Terrace duplex.

Ashafa, who acknowledged the efforts of his predecessor, Professor Mohammed Al-Amim in whose tenure the project commenced, said it was funded through an N7.5bn grant from the government and N2bn from its internally generated revenue.

He added that the project provided job emplyoment to 13,600 Nigerians, saying that 25 percent of them were professionals in the built industry, while the remaining 75 percent were artisans and others from the imformal sector.

Meanwhile, the project, which was initiated in 2017, is about 18.5 hectares of land and gulped the sum of N9.5bn. consists of 16 blocks of 3-bedroom flats in a block of 8 flats; 32 blocks of 2-bedroom flats in a block of 8 flats; 14 blocks of 1-bedroom flats in a block of 16 flats and 5 blocks of terrace duplexes in 4 rows.

Senate mulls audit reports tribunal, seeks life jail for illegal explosives manufacturers

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Senate on Wednesday set machinery in motion for the establishment of a tribunal for strict implementation of the audit reports as adopted by both chambers of the National Assembly.

This is as it recommends life imprisonment without option of fine, for unlawful explosives manufacturers in the country.

Need for an audit report tribunal came to the fore in the Senate when a bill sponsored by its Chairman, Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Mathew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South) was considered and passed for second reading.

Urhoghide in his lead debate on the bill seeking for an Act to provide for strict implementation of the National Assembly recommendations on Annual Federal Audit Reports and for related matters, said the proposed legislation was very necessary for potency of the war against corruption.

According to him, for war against corruption to be effective, findings and recommendations made in Audit report, must be strictly implemented or enforced.

“Is not enough for the National Assembly as provided for in section 88 of the 1999 constitution to expose corruption through required investigation but go further , to ensure strict implementation of resolutions made”, he said.

Similarly the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan in his remarks, said the missing link of strict implementation of resolutions taken by the National Assembly on yearly audit reports, must be addressed.

“The proposed legislation is very necessary. Something in the mode of a Tribunal is needed for strict implementations of recommendations inform of prosecution of offenders.

“Public Hearing on this bill, must be thoroughly conducted on how the Tribunal would be put in place as a potent way of fighting corruption “ , he said .

Section 11 of the bill seeking to repeal the explosives Act 1964 and enact the explosives Act 2023 passed for third reading by Senate on Wednesday, recommends life imprisonment without option of fine , as punishment for any person who unlawfully manufactures any explosives in the country.