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Procurement: Lagos Lwmakers Raises Mobilization Fee by 20 Percent

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Lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday proposed the amendment of the State Procurement Agency Law, 2015 with a view to raising the advance payment from 20 to 40 percent.

This was made known during the public hearing on a bill titled, ‘The Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2020,’ which took place at the Lagos House of Assembly Pavilion.

In his keynote address, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa who was represented by his Deputy, Hon Wasiu Sanni-Eshinlokun said, “Procurement is very important. It has to do with the delivery of goods and services. We felt we should do what is needed to set the state on the part of progress.”

According to him “the idea of public hearing affords the policymakers to hear from the masses. It is meant to build public confidence in the government. Good legislation must not be the yearnings of the populace alone, it must be the aggregated interest of the people.”

“We are here to discuss important issues, which is public procurement. Procurement is broad, encompassing, and covers all aspects of government activities. Lagos State is proud to be one of the states with one of the best procurement policies in Nigeria.”

He however stated, “We must never rest on oars towards the provision of better democracy. We can make remarkable progress and improvement through our contributions today.”

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement, Hon. Rauf Age-Sulaimon said the purpose of the amendment is “to ensure that the society is regulated. When you are talking about development, procurement is the most important because if, government projects are not properly executed, of course, you will not see the result.”

“We have been talking about the money needed for projects and the economy is not smiling at all and for us to support contractors there is a need on the part of the government to encourage them. The essence of this is to increase from 20% to 40% so that the person involved would be able to do the job effectively.”

“We will ensure that the contractors adhere strictly to the terms of the contract. It will benefit the masses because it will not be the winner takes it all. It will not be the survival of the fittest because the fittest might not be capable. It is open to everybody. Once you have the requirement you will be allowed to bid.”

While giving the overview of the Bill, the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade said, “the law as it stands today has 83 sections, out of which we are proposing to amend 38 sections. The reason for the amendment is to simplify the narration.

Agunbiade explained, “Amendment of section 63, advance payment of not more than 40 percent of the contract sum may be paid to a supplier or contractor.

“Provided that advance payment above 40 percent shall be subject to the regulation prescribed by the agency.

“Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, any person, company or authority who accesses mobilization fee and absconds or does not carry out the services or works commensurate to the fee paid commits an offense and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for two years or a fine equivalent to the fee paid or both “

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Fuel Price Skyrockets To ₦1000 Per Litre In Some States As Scarcity Sets In

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News reaching us is that fuel Prices have gone up ranging up to ₦800 to ₦1000 and above per litre in different states.

The price increase is also as a result of fuel scarcity which has set in. It is believed that some fuel stations are currently hoarding fuel.

Motorists are queuing up in large numbers at filling stations across Kano State struggling to buy petrol that is now selling at over N1,000 per litre.

One Mr Ibrahim said filling stations in the metropolis were charging as high as N1,000 as of Monday morning, adding that he bought the product over the weekend at prices ranging between N950 and N920 before the price skyrocketed on Monday.

The fuel scarcity has also touched Abuja and even Lagos.

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King Charles Reportedly “Really Unwell” And Funeral Plans Are Currently Being Reviewed

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King Charles III’s health is causing concern for friends and the palace as he continues to battle cancer.

“Speaking to friends of the king in recent weeks about his health, the most common response is … ‘It’s not good,’” Tom Sykes of the Daily Beast reported Thursday, April 25.

A friend of the monarch claimed Charles “is determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it,” adding, “Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”

Royal writer Tina Brown also hinted at the monarch’s health struggles, writing recently that Charles’ cancer has put Prince William and Kate Middleton “in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye.”

“The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety.”

Sykes also reported that the king’s funeral plans, codenamed “Operation Menai Bridge”, are currently being reviewed.

A separate document that states what went well at Queen Elizabeth’s September 2022 funeral and what could be done better the next time a monarch dies is also circulating, according to the Daily Beast.

All the sources emphasized that royal funeral plans are constantly in review. However, one former staffer in particular conceded that Charles’ health woes have given his plans a different urgency.

“The plans have been dusted off and are actively being kept up to date,” the former staffer explained.

“It’s no more than what you would expect given the king has been diagnosed with cancer. But the circulation of them has certainly focused minds.”

Buckingham Palace announced in February that after undergoing surgery for a benign prostate enlargement, it was discovered that the king has cancer.

We hope the king gets well soon.

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EFCC: New Documents Extracted Shows Yahaya Bello Allegedly Paid School Fees To The Tune Of $845,852,84 For His Family Members

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Still on the EFCC trailing on Ex Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, Documents serving as exhibits have shown how he allegedly paid school fees in advance for his family members already in the school and even those to be enrolled in future with hundreds of thousands of dollars withdrawn from the state coffers.

A letter from the American International School of Abuja to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has shown the school admitting that Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, paid $845,852,84 into their bank account since September 2021 as advance school fees for 4 family members from the present class until they graduate.

Payment was also made for any future student to be enrolled by the family.

The document alleges that the payment was made by Mr. Ali Bello, alleged to be the eldest son of Yahaya Bello.

In the document, the school stated that they have deducted the fees for the educational service already rendered to the Bello children in the institution and what is left is $760, 910, which would be refunded to an account provided by the EFCC as the commission continues investigation into alleged money laundering levelled against Yahaya Bello.

the school fees documented payment

The school also added that from the Bello family kids, “no further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition until they graduate from ASIA.”

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