Politics
Senate, Berger settle dispute over abandoned projects
From Lateef Taiwo
The Senate Tuesday , gave Julius Berger Nigeria Plc , soft landing on warrant of arrest earlier issued against its Managing Director , Engr Peer Lubasch for refusing to appear before its committee on works for explanation on abandoned projects .
Recall that the Senate had on the 12th of December, 2024 issued a warrant of arrest against the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc ,for persistently refusing to appear before its committee on Works .
Resolution of the Senate on Warrant of Arrest against MD of Julius Berger, followed motion moved to that effect by the Senate Minority Whip , Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP Enugu West) .
Senator Ngwu in the motion co – sponsored by Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong ( APC Cross River South) and Mpigi Barinada (PDP Rivers South East), informed the Senate that Julius Berger Plc Julius Berger has persistently refused to appear before the Senate Committee on Works for required explanations on projects abandonment and alarming contract variation from N54billion to N195billion .
But the Senate in plenary Tuesday , vacated the warrant of arrest on the strength of written apology forwarded to it by Julius Berger .
Julius Berger in the letter of apology addressed to the President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio through the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works ,
Senator Barinada Mpigi, apologized for not honouring invitations sent to it due to leadership transition .
The letter dated January 10th , 2025 and signed by Engr Dr Peer Lubasch as Managing Director and Dr Abdulaziz Isa Kaita as Director Administration, reads in part : “
Your Excellency, the President of the Senate, on behalf of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc (JBN), we extend our
respect and commend the Senate President’s leadership and the Chairman’s contributions to advancing
the welfare of Nigerians.
“We acknowledge receipt of your instructions regarding the investigative hearing on the Odukpani-ltu-lkot
Ekpene Road and sincerely apologize for missing the previous meeting due to miscommunication during
our leadership transition.
“Our new Managing Director, Engr. Dr. Peer Lubasch, had just assumed office and
was being briefed on ongoing projects.
We assure you of our utmost respect for the National Assembly and our commitment to collaborative
governance.
“JBN remains committed to partnering with the National Assembly and Federal Government to deliver
projects that benefit Nigerians, address infrastructural challenges, and create jobs.
” We assure you of our attendance at the next committee meeting and look forward to continued collaboration “
In accepting the apology , Senators at the plenary voted for its acceptance when put to voice votes by the Senate President.
JBN’s apology was also accepted by the Investigative panel its MD was directed to appear before in December.
The panel headed by Senator Barinada Mpigi, also collected the written apology from Julius Berger but admonished the construction giant not to allow issues between it and relevant authorities to degenerate to the level of projects abandonment and arrest warrant issuance .
The MD of Julius Berger in his explanations to the committee , informed it that slow payment of advances on awarded contracts and cost variation etc , created misunderstanding between the company and Federal Ministry of Works .
” JBN has an unquestionable track record of consistency on quality projects execution and delivery in Nigeria since 1965 with over 10,000 workforce now and more than 150, 000 indirect workers “, he said .
The committee accordingly promised the construction giant to resolve the disagreement between it and the Federal Ministry of Works.
Politics
Tinubu Assures Investors Nigeria Is Open for Business, Welcomes Coca-Cola’s $1bn Plan
By Francis Wilfred
President Bola Tinubu has assured local and international investors that Nigeria remains open for business, saying his administration is implementing reforms aimed at creating a more predictable, competitive and investment-friendly environment.
Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) in Abuja on Monday, the President said the government is addressing key challenges facing businesses under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Our message to investors, both Nigerian and international, is clear: Nigeria is open for business,” Tinubu said,
He noted that reliable infrastructure, efficient logistics, access to foreign exchange, stable regulations and a supportive tax system are critical to attracting investment and expanding production.
According to Yomi Odunuga, the President said ongoing economic reforms are designed to build a more productive and competitive economy, reduce dependence on imports, strengthen local manufacturing and create jobs for Nigerians.
Tinubu welcomed the Coca-Cola System’s proposed $1 billion investment in Nigeria over five years, announced in 2024, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the country’s economy.
He said the administration is focused not only on the volume of investment attracted but also on its impact on employment, skills development, technology transfer and local sourcing.
“We are interested not only in the amount of capital that comes into Nigeria, but in what that capital does here,” he said.
The President also praised NBC’s continued expansion of production capacity, including new production lines in Oyo and Kano states, describing such investments as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving policies, infrastructure and regulations to support businesses, while urging the private sector to complement government efforts through investment, innovation and job creation.
Tinubu further highlighted the importance of human capital development, commending NBC’s Supply Chain Academy for training over 1,400 young Nigerians and supporting women’s empowerment and community development initiatives.
He urged investors to take advantage of opportunities across Nigeria, expressing confidence that the country can build a stronger economy driven by local production, exports and globally competitive industries.
Politics
Kano Governorship: Accord Party Governorship Candidate Gashash Getting More Endorsement From Kano Electorates.
By Jabiru Hassan.
The movement for Democratic Protection and good governance (MDSG) declared it's full support to the Accord Party Governorship Candidate Ambassador Dr. Mukhtar Gashash in the forthcoming general elections.
In a chat with our correspondent in kano, the national president of the movement, Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali, stated that it is time for the people of kano state to bring new steward who is seriously planning to transform the state with highest regard.
He expressed his confidence that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash will do his best to ensure that kano state becomes more examplary at both sector without bias which is the task previous administrators failed to achieve.
Alhaji Dauda Mohammed Ali reiterated that " this time around, our movement is working day and night to make sure that Kano people mostly youths remained Committed to actualize real change in the state's politics, leadership and transformation under the Accord Party government".
He called on the people of kano state especially the eligible voters to vote Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash due to his Transformation plans for the progress of kano state and it's citizens at both Urban and rural settlements.
Responding to a question about Accord party's strength in kano state, Dauda Mohammed Ali disclosed that in today's democracy, competent candidates should be tipped for an elective positions not the popularity of the political parties stressing that Ambassador Dr Mukhtar Gashash has been found to be the best option for kano state due to his track record on competency, transparency as a real democrat.
Politics
Caught in the middle: Ortom’s silent dance between two camps.
There are growing questions about where Mr. Samuel Ortom, a former Governor of Benue State and a prominent figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), truly stands politically ahead of 2027.
Ortom was a key figure in the divisions within the PDP before the 2023 general elections and was widely associated with support for Mr. Peter Obi, who finished third in that contest. More recently, however, he has publicly expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The latest discussion began after a visit by Mr. Peter Obi to Benue State. Reports indicate that a vehicle said to belong to Ortom was used to receive Obi at the Air Force Base airport in Makurdi. It is not clear who authorized the use of the vehicle, and Ortom has not commented publicly on the matter.
During the same visit, Obi was reportedly prevented from travelling to Yelewata, where he had intended to condole with families affected by violence. Obi’s team attributed the blockage to supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The Governor’s spokesman, Sir Tersoo Kula, denied any involvement by the Governor. He suggested the incident may have been staged to damage the Governor’s reputation, or that it could have resulted from disagreements within Obi’s own support base.
Ortom has not issued a statement clarifying his position on the 2027 elections or on the vehicle in question. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
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