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Oronsaye Report: NIDCOM Goes Under Ministry Of Foreign Affairs As An Agency – FG

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The Source
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Bola Tinubu and Oronsaye and Bayo Onanuga

By Bayo Onanuga

Presidential Adviser, presents Highlights of Federal Executive Council decisions on Monday 26 February. It was chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

  1. FEC approved construction of Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Superhighway to Messrs Hitech Construction Africa. The First phase made up of 47 kms will begin in Lagos.
  2. Social security payments to the vulnerable households to begin immediately. Recipients will be those with NIN and BVN.
  1. Social security payments to be extended to graduates from NCE and upwards
  1. Consumer Credit to be established very urgently. Chief of Staff to lead a committee that includes Budget Minister, Attorney-General, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance, to make the scheme a reality.
  2. The Council in order to enhance efficiency in the Federal service, and reduce the cost of governance, decided to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye panel on the restructuring and rationalisation of Federal agencies, parastatals and commissions.

The implementation involves merging, subsuming and scrapping agencies with similar functions.

The Oronsaye report was submitted in 2012 to the Jonathan administration. In 2014, the Jonathan government released a white paper on the report. The Buhari administration after re-examining the white paper also released a second white paper in August 2022, but did not implement the report.

However, the Tinubu administration has decided to confront the monster of high governance cost by implementing elements of the report.

An eight-man committee has a 12-week deadline to ensure that the necessary legislative amendments and administrative restructuring needed to implement the reforms are effected in an efficient manner.

The committee comprises Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Attorney General and Justice Minister, Budget and Planning Minister, DG Bureau of Public Service Reform, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Special assistant to the president on National Assembly. The Cabinet Affairs Office will serve as the secretariat.

Key recommendations for implementation:

National Salaries, Income and wages Commission to be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. The National Assembly will need to amend the constitution as RMAFC was established by the constitution.

Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission to be merged with Bureau of Public Enterprise and be rechristened as `Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission

National Human Rights Commission to swallow Public Complaints Commission

Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate(PTAD) to be scrapped and functions to be taken over by Federal Ministry of Finance

NEMA and National Commission for Refugees to be fused to become National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission

Border Communities Development Agency to become a department under National Boundary Commission

NACA and NCDC to be merged

SERVICOM to become a department under the Bureau for Public Service Reform(BPSR)

NALDA to return to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Federal Ministry of Science to supervise a new agency that combines NCAM, NASENI and PRODA

National Commission for Museums and Monuments and National Gallery of Arts to become one entity that will be known as National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Gallery of Arts.

National Theatre to be merged with National Troupe.

  1. Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corp to be merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to become an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Federal Radio Corporation and Voice of Nigeria to be one entity to be known as Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria

National Biotechnology Development Agency(NABDA) and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology to be emerged into an agency to be known as National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency(NBRDA).

National Institute for Leather Science Technology and National Institute for Chemical Technology to become one agency.

Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development to become one agency.

The National Metallurgical Development Centre and National Metallurgical Training Institute will be merged.

National Institute for Trypanosomiasis to be subsumed under Institute of Veterinary Research in Vom, Jos.

The list is not exhaustive.

Click VIEW to see Full text/details of the report – VIEW

Tinubu Orders Implementation Of  Oronsaye Report, Constitutes Committee

By
Ayodele Oni
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Bola Tinubu

By Ayodele Oni

Twelve years after collation of Oronsaye report on public sector reform, President Bola Tinubu has ordered full implementation of the report.⁣

Since 2012, the report had gathered cobwebs and covered with dust in Government ’s shelf as successive administrations ignored it even amidst hue and cry about the high cost of governance.

The Oronsaye report on public sector reforms, submitted in 2012, had disclosed that there were 54 statutory and non-statutory Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.⁣

The  report, commissioned by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, had called for the consolidation, merger or scrapping of numerous redundant and inefficient government parastatals, to achieve cost-effecetive, as well as lean and efficient federal bureacracy.

Addressing State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), meeting on Monday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris announced that President Tinubu had approved wide-ranging reforms based on the Oransanye recommendations.

According to him, numerous agencies would be scrapped, others merged or restructured. He said the move was a cost-cutting measure to streamline government and governance.

The minister assured workers that the shake-up would not initially affect jobs.

⁣“So, in a very bold move today, this administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, consistent again with his courage to take very far-reaching decisions in the interest of Nigeria, has taken a decision to implement the so-called Oronsaye Report.⁣

⁣“Now, what that means is that a number of agencies, commissions and some departments have actually been scrapped. Some have been modified, marked while others have been subsumed. Others, of course, have also been moved from some ministries to others where government feels they will operate better.”

⁣Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala-Usman, said following the announcement, the President had consequently constituted a committee to implement the mergers, scrapping and relocations within 12 weeks.

⁣Former President Jonathan had set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, under the leadership of former Head of Civil Service, Stephen Oronsaye.⁣

⁣The 800-page report turned in by Orosanye recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies be slashed to 161; 38 agencies be scrapped; 52 be merged and 14 be reverted to departments in various ministries.⁣

⁣The report also recommended that the law establishing the National Salaries and Wages Commission be repealed and its functions taken over by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.⁣

⁣It had advised the FG to merge the nation’s top three anti-corruption agencies—the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau.⁣

TUC To FG: Return Dollar To N650 Within 2 Weeks

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has issued a two week ultimatum to the federal government to peg the the Naira between N480 and N650 to the dollar.
TUC President Festus Usifo issued the ultimatum in Abuja on Monday at a press conference to address the prevailing economic situation in the country.
The Congress however said it would not be part of the two day protest being planned by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, for Tuesday and Wednesday this week over the economic hardship being face by Nigerians.
According to Osifo, the federal government has meant part of their 16-point demands, so there is no need to join the protest starting tomorrow.
The magazine reports that the NLC has rebuffed a warning by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, that the protest amounted to a contempt of the National Industrial Court, NIC.
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PDP Plots Victory Ahead Ondo Governorship Election

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Indication emerges on Monday that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state may settle for consensus arrangement in picking its governorship candidate for November election.

Working on various calculations to ensure its candidate occupies the Alagbaka government house, leadership of the party are rallying governorship aspirants to form a common front.

In realization of the dream to produce the next governor of Ondo State, the governorship aspirants of the party have met with the some leaders led by former Governor Olusegun Mimiko and some former chairmen of the party in the state.

Speaking after the meeting, one of the aspirants,  Sola Ebiseni noted that, “all the aspirants have been informed by the top echelon of the party to engender a rancour free primary.

“Our leaders are midwifing the process for a rancour free concensus with a view to securing the buy-in of all the aspirants to rally support for the consensus candidate.

“The ultimate for us is to have a candidate who everyone will rally round.

“In the fullness of time, PDP will come out with a candidate that all of us will rally round and will be seen not only by the opposition, but by the people of Ondo State that it has all it takes to run the state.”

PDP has had occupied the governorship seat of the state twice with late Dr Olusegun Agagu as the first followed by Mimiko that decamped from the Labour Party, (LP) to the party during his second term as governor.

NECO Bans Supervisors, Centre For Examinations Malpractices

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The National Examinations Council (NECO) said it has blacklisted two supervisors in Oyo and Lagos states and one examination center in Borno state for being involved in examination malpractices in the 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination, (SSCE) external.

The examination body disclosed said that the two supervisors were blacklisted for poor supervision, inability to control the candidates, and aiding and abetting, while the center in Borno was blacklisted for aiding and abetting for sharing WhatsApp messages with candidates.

NECO revealed further that 8,518 candidates were booked for various forms of malpractice, adding that the examination malpractice cases included two centers in Kaduna and Ogun states.

NECO stated these when it announced release of the results of the 2023 Senior SSCE adding that the number of candidates that got five Credits and above including English and Mathematics is 50,066 representing 67.35 percent.

Also, 63,539 candidates representing 84.11 percent get five Credits and above irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

NECO’s Registrar/Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Wushishi disclosed this while briefing journalists in Minna during the release of the 2023 SSCE external results.

Announcing the results, the Registrar said that 74,950 candidates registered for the examinations out of which 74,342 sat for the examination.

“The number of candidates that sat for the English Language is 73,123 out of which 55,272 representing 75.59 percent got Credit and above. Those that sat for Mathematics are 73,119 out of which 67,815 representing 92.75 percent got Credit and above.”

The Registrar also launched the automated annual posting calendar to address the problems associated with posting the Council’s staff for out-of-station assignments.

He said that the e-posting calendar would address the lopsidedness and favoritism that trail staff posting for various assignments.

Ekiti: Gov Oyebanji Floats N12 billion Economic Relief Programme

By
Ayodele Oni
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Biodun Oyebanji

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, has approved a set of relief programmes to alleviate the hardship being experienced by the people of the state in the face of the current global economic downturn.

In the programmes are payment of one month salary arrears to State and Local Government workers totalling over N2.7 billion.

With this payment, the Government has cleared the salary arrears owed to State Government workers, and will ensure the arrears owed Local Government workers are cleared this year.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode disclosed in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Monday that Oyebanji also approved an increase of N600 million per month in the subvention of autonomous institutions including the Judiciary and all tertiary institutions.

“This is to allow the institutions implement the wage award being implemented for State and Local Government workers.

“In the same vein, Governor Oyebanji also approved the payment of two months pension arrears owed State and Local Government workers totalling N1.5 billion, as well as N100 million monthly gratuity payment to state pensioners.

“There is an increment of the current N50 million monthly gratuity to local Government pensioners to N100 million. This brings total monthly gratuity payment to N200 million.

“The State Government has also committed the sum of N1 billion to improve food production, especially to embark on land preparation, driven by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security’s tractorization subsidy scheme.

“There is an input supply programme to support small scale farmers. Similarly,  the Government is also committing a whopping sum of N1.2 billion it recently got as first tranche of the World Bank-financed Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support ( L-PRES) Project to transform the livestock subsector.

“The money would be spent on empowering livestock farmers, boosting livestock productivity as well as creating a conducive environment for youths and private sector involvement in livestock businesses.

“This will include revamping all veterinary clinics across the local government areas and the state veterinary hospital; development of poultry sector across the value chain from production to processing; Feed formulation and artificial insemination (AI) training and support, among others.

“Additionally, the State is also launching a N500 million loan programme in partnership with Access Bank to support medium and small scale businesses.

“This is in addition to N1 billion cooperative fund to provide low interest working capital for cooperatives and members.

“These programmes will ensure that small scale businesses, a critical part of the State economy, also benefit from the relief programme, and help kick start the economy.

“The final set of the programmes include a continuation of the conditional cash transfer to low income households as well as the CARES programme which among other focuses on livelihood support, labour-intensive support, technology support for small businesses and support for agric produce and for which the sum N3.5 billion is earmarked.”

MWUN Gets Grants To Build Centre

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The International Transport Workers’ Federation UK has approved a grant to Nigeria through the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, to build a Seafarers Recreation Centre in partnership with the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

The Head ITF Seafarers Trust Fund, Katie Higginbottom, who announced this during a meeting with the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola CON, in Lagos over the weekend, noted that the grant was approved after a thorough assessment of Nigeria’s suitability. In her brief to the Honourable Minister, she commended MWUN and NIMASA for their commitment to Seafarers wellbeing.

According to Higginbottom, “The center will serve not only Nigerian seafarers but also others in the West African region and beyond”. We have absolute faith and trust in the Comrade Adeyanju led MWUN and we are very pleased with Dr Jamoh and his team at NIMASA for their enthusiasm towards Seafarers welfare. MWUN has built up their credibility within the ITF family and we are pleased to partner them and NIMASA on this project. The grant approval process endured three years of rigorous assessment and we are satisfied that it is safe to invest in the Nigerian maritime industry. Our visit to Nigeria is for site inspection so the project can commence”. Higginbottom said.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, appreciated the ITF for trusting Nigeria with Direct Foreign Fund Investment in the country with an assurance that it will be judiciously utilized and the Ministry will ensure NIMASA fulfils her own obligations to the project.

According to him “Seafarers are the real drivers of the maritime industry. They sacrifice a lot for human existence, spending most of their time away from family and onboard vessels. So creating this opportunity for social interaction is encouraging and commendable. I commend your decision to personally come to Nigeria and see things for yourself. It shows that you are committed to the project. To ensure judicious use of your grant, I want to assure you that the Nigerian government will ensure the project is completed in record time. The fact that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, established a standalone Ministry for the maritime industry shows Nigeria’s commitment to make the country a major maritime nation. I want to assure you that the grant will be put to use as expected. The Federal Government through our Ministry will closely monitor the project. I commend the DG NIMASA, Dr Jamoh and the MWUN President General Comrade Adeyanju for their vision and effort.”

On his part, the DG NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, restated the commitment of the Agency, under the supervision of the Ministry, to continuously invest in the well-being of Seafarers. “We at NIMASA welcome this project wholeheartedly. We consider this project a major infrastructural capital development for seafarers welfare, hence we keyed into it. It will go a long way in improving the mental health of seafarers and assist their social integration having spent much of their time out there on the Seas. “I am pleased that our challenge to MWUN some years ago is bearing positive fruits. This is a result of the constant engagement sessions we always have with Comrade Adeyanju, who believes in dialogue.” Since our Minister has sanctioned this project, “I can assure you that NIMASA will meet its obligations”. He said.

The President General of MWUN Comrade Adeyanju noted that the quest to better the lot of Seafarers informed their decision to seek funding from the United Kingdom based ITF. “ The DG NIMASA approached me some time ago challenging us to do something for seafarers. We took up the challenge, but considering the current financial situation in the country, we sought a grant from ITF. We are very happy with NIMASA for all they have been doing” He said.

The International Transport Workers Federation UK which has the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN as one of her affiliates, approved a grant to partly fund the building of a Seafarers Recreation Center in Nigeria. When completed, the Seafarers Recreational Center will serve as a rallying point for in-country and Regional Seafarers and those onboard vessels during port calls, who desire to disembark and savor the warmth of Nigerians.

NAFDAC Talks Tough, Vows To Clampdown On Outlets Facilitating Fake Drugs

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has reiterated its determination to combat substandard and fake drugs in the country. It said it would wield the big stick on any outlets found wanting.

In combating this menace in the Pharmaceutical sector, NAFDAC has engaged stakeholders in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain, and resoled to put an end to the menace and effectively safeguard the health of Nigerians.

Following the news that there is proliferation of fake drugs into the country, NAFDAC has debunked the alleged proliferation of fake drugs in the country, saying, there is no proliferation of substandard medicines.

Describing it as false, NAFDAC said: “We do national survey, sampling of products using scientific methods from different parts of the country” she said, and added that the survey was done in 2021 and 2022 for anti-malaria with a 10 per cent prevalence level.

The Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, speaking at the stakeholders meeting emphasised the need to explore how to combat the sale and distribution of substandard and falsified Medical Products within the supply chain.

She further  explained: “If you live very close to the border where people come in and out the prevalence may be higher there. Thats statistics. The average is about 10 percent.

She insisted that proliferation is not synonymous with shortage because the two words are now used together. “The fact that we have a shortage of medicines does not mean there is a proliferation of substandard falsified medicines. The survey for 2023 is not ready yet. We will publish 2021 and 2022 survey,”

She further warned that the Agency would not hesitate to clamp down on wholesale and retail outlets where fake drugs are dispensed for public use.

The NAFDAC Boss explained that the engagement with Pharma supply chain stakeholders in Nigeria serves as a means of thinking together and putting in place a position that will represent or guide collective efforts and strategy to prevent, detect, and respond to substandard and falsified medicinal products, adding that the goal is to ensure that medical products in circulation are of the quality standard required and safe for public use.

She also noted that the high prevalence of SF in Africa is a major threat to public health, attributing this to the fact that regulation in the region is limited with about 10% of African National Regulatory Agencies NRAs having achieved ML3.

Adeyeye noted with dismay that this allows for poorly regulated manufacturers to supply their products in Africa where technologies to detect SF and track/trace are limited.

She added that the menace of substandard and falsified medical products threatens access to safe, efficacious, and affordable medicines, undermining health systems and the achievement of Universal Health Coverage globally.

Adeyeye explained that currently, NAFDAC is doing its best to fight this issue of Substandard and Falsified products, stating that the fight against Substandard/Falsified medical products is based on three broad thematic areas Prevent, Detect, and Respond (PDR).

She said that NAFDAC operatives are not just going on the streets to look for substandard falsified medicines, but also going after products that have been approved in Southeast Asia en route Nigeria.

She reiterated that 70 per cent of medicines used in Nigeria come from outside which necessitated the establishment of a Pre-shipment testing scheme that has stopped over 124 products that were approved from coming into the Nigerian market.

According to her, some of the SF medicines do not have content, some will not disintegrate, and some will not dissolve.

“In contrast, some of them have wrong labelling and all sorts of non-compliance, adding that the Agency is dealing with that now with the World Health Organisation (WHO)”.

Adeyeye further disclosed that most of the products stopped from coming into the Nigeria market have fake certificates of pharmaceutical product.

Noting that it takes two to tango, Prof. Adeyeye opined “that its not just India bringing substandard falsified medicines to us, it is us; Nigerians that connive with them to bring in cheap products at the detriment of lives in Nigeria.

She disclosed that over 124 shipments have been stopped, adding that these are products that had been approved, that could have been in circulation in Nigeria for five years. So, if ten containers per year for one particular product or two containers per year should find their way into Nigeria, you can figure out what the consequences might be.

The NAFDAC boss, announced the berth of a new regulatory directive with emphasis on the source of raw materials used in the production process. For those that are registering new products, she said they must procure raw materials from approved sources like WHO Prequalified sources, FDA, or other stringent Regulatory Authorities.

If you dont source from a prequalified source, we will not register the product, she said.

She noted that the Pharmaceutical Supply chain plays a vital role in ensuring that safe, quality, and efficacious medicines reach the end users, adding that there is therefore a need to foster complementary partnerships that will seek to identify lapses in the supply chain system to improve the chances of winning the war on substandard and falsified medical products in Nigeria.

Adeyeye added, “We have formal and informal markets. Do not buy medicines from the informal market. We do a lot of raids in Oke- Arin, Idumota markets Lagos, Onitsha head bridge where you can buy a product maybe 50 per cent or 80 per cent cheaper because of low quality, she added, the state of the economy shouldnt be an excuse for people to buy poison under the guise of cheap products.

“I enjoin you to sustain your support to NAFDAC to ensure that only safe, efficacious, and quality medicines are used in Nigeria. NAFDAC, as the regulatory agency is seeking the support of all stakeholders in the pharma industry and supply chain system to improve our chances of winning the war on SF medical products.”

The Supply chain stakeholders made very useful contributions for input into the National Strategic document to guide our collective efforts towards combating the menace of the SF in the country.

Economic Hardship: Protesters Take Over Ojuelegba, Shun Police Warnings

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Protesters in Lagos over Economic Hardship

By Akinwale Kasali

Following the economic hardship rocking the country and its people, some youths in their numbers took to the streets at Ojuelegba under- Bridge in Lagos, to protest against the hardship they are facing.

The protesters who were mobilized by a Human Rights Group, ‘Take It Back Movement’, took to the streets lamenting the spike in the price of food and the high cost of living in the country.

The angry protesters who carried placards with different inscriptions sang solidarity songs, calling in the President Bola Tinubu- led Federal Government to take action and address the situation before its worsens.

It would be recalled that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade had on Sunday, February 25th, warned against any protests of any kind, but these protesters defy the warnings to air their grievances and the lament against the deplorable State of the nation’s economy.

The protest which was a peaceful one, saw officials of the Police on standby, fully armed, monitoring the situation.

The peaceful protest did not disrupt any commercial activities as the protesters stood under the bridge with their placards and were been addressed by their Convener.

They, however, said this is just a tip of the iceberg as, if the situation is not addressed earnestly, they will mobilize more people and take over the streets.

Controversy Trails Abia’s Alleged  $5m Investment As Geometric Power Plant Flags Off

By
The Source
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By Daniel Maduka

With the Multi million- Dollar Geometric Power Plant designed to considerably improve the power supply needs of the residents of the commercial hub, Aba, and its environs is commissioned on Monday February 26,2024, controversy, blame game and denials have continued to trail a purported claim of about five million Dollars and/or its Naira equivalent in  the gargantuan project by the immediate past administration of Okezie Ikpeazu.

The raging controversy has tended,  as it were, to blight the huge significance of the ambitious investment in accelerating and driving economic growth and development in Abia State.

Only penultimate week, the Abia State Commissioner of information Prince Okey Kanu had inadvertently set the tone for the ongoing debate among Abians over the correct investment portfolio of the State  in the Power generating and distribution giant following his assertion that the State does not have any stake/ shares in the project.

Rising from an Executive Council meeting, Prince Kanu, while fielding questions from the press noted that Abia State apart from providing an enabling environment and other necessary assistance to Geometric, does not have equity holdings in the establishment.

This position contrasted sharply with the position of the immediate past  administration in the State, which on several occasions claimed that the State Government invested and acquired five per cent shares amounting to five  million Dollars or its Naira  equivalent.

Some top officials of former Governor Ikpeazu’s regime had proudly flaunted the said investment and the l $115 million Africa Development Bank ADB facility secured, but which became available during the present administration, as parts of signature assets bequeathed to his successor  Governor Alex Otti.

On Friday, February 23, the Promoter and Chairman of the 188 MW gas powered electricity generating and distribution outfits Professor Bath Nnaji  put paid to claims of such investment in the $800million project by the host State.

At an interactive session with the Media, the former Minister of Power under former President Goodluck Jonathan Government, while profusely acknowledging the  immeasurable  contributions and assistance of the Abia state authorities in midwifing the project, however, said Abia State does not have monetary investment either in Naira and/or in  any other currency in the organization.

“There was an expression of interest from the Abia State Government for the acquisition of interest. But there is no payments yet,” Nnaji stated

But in a statement issued on Sunday February 25 ,entitled ” Geometric : Facts About Investment of $5 million by the Abia State Government Under the Watch of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu”  Chief John Okeiyi Kalu ,a former  commissioner of Information in the immediate past regime insisted that the administration during an Executive Council meeting voted to acquire a-five million dollars ( %5 equity) stake in Geometric through the Ministry of Finance on behalf of Abians.

“As at the time the investment was authorized, Abia State Government insisted on paying the Naira equivalent using the prevailing official exchange rate of # 395 to a dollar as agreed with the Management of Geometric..

“According to information available to me the state government was expected to pay N1,975,000,000.00 (One billion, nine hundred, and seventy five million Naira only) to Geometric as the equivalent of 5% equity in the project.

“Iam also aware that the Abia state government under the leadership of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu actually transferred the sum of # 1,42 billion to the bank account of Geometric ( possibly Stanbic IBTC Account) and it was acknowledged by no less a person than Prof. Bath Nnaji himself in his capacity as Chairman/ CEO of Geometric via an official letter dated August 24 ,2022.” Chief Okiyi Kalu stated.

However, with the present Governor Otti-led  Abia State Government debunking the claims of any such investment by the state  in the Power plant, not a few Abians are calling on the immediate past administration of Okezie Ikpeazu to come clean on insisting that such an investment, if it exists,  must be known to the Government of the day.

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