Dubai Court of Appeal reduces drug smuggling sentence of 18-year-old Nigerian female singer

The Dubai Court of Appeal on Sunday, December 11th, reduced the life sentence for smuggling drugs handed to an 18-year-old Nigerian female singer who was mistaken for a 30-year-old, to four years.

"I am only 18 years old, your honour, and it was a friend of mine who asked me to carry a package but I had no idea what it was," the girl, who was not named told judges while kneeling before the court.

Dubai Criminal Court had sentenced her to life after prosecutors said she sold 1.91 grams of marijuana. Her age was listed as 30 on court documents.

Prosecutors said that on October 25 last year she tried to sell the drugs to a police source posing as a buyer. An Emirati police lieutenant said the source agreed to meet the suspect near a hospital in Abu Hail to buy marijuana for Dh300.

He said that about midnight she arrived in a taxi and got into the source’s car. Shortly after police raided the car and she was arrested.
Records stated she resisted arrest and tried to escape, but a policewoman pinned her down. She will be deported after serving her term.

Pope Don X @PopeDonX - RISE OF THE KINGS Ft. Dikans X D'zaya

The fantastically triple ‘D’ sensation of Pope Don X and Dikans and super new kid on the block - Dzaya pay tribute to their nativity in the Hip-Hop number RISE OF THE KINGS. These are proud Akwa Ibom Songsters who this year set out to write an Anthem that all Akwa Ibom people can rally behind. The result, “Rise Of The Kings” brings a new style to Ibom pride and a fresh ibibio voice to Nigerian hip-hop. When you listen to this material, it is apparent they are their own artist, equipped with an entirely different message; a message that speaks of self-advancement, self-preservation, and communal advancement. The trio reps the international city of Uyo so hard and with so much pride.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopeDonX [@PopeDonX]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_PopeDonX [@_PopeDonX]

VIDEO
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Lmao! Cameroonians mock Minister with #BidoungChallenge after he greets their president too 'respectfully' (photos)

This Cameroonians are too wicked..lol! Cameroon's Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Pierre Ismael Bidoung Mpkatt was photographed graciously greeting the country's president Paul Biya during a reception in honor of the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, silver medalists of the 10th edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and the citizens of the country wondered why Bidoung had to prostrate in such an over respectful manner to shake the president.

Cameroonians have now taken to social media to mock the minister for his pose and even started a trend called 'Bidoungmpkattchallenge' . Lol. See very funny poses after the cut....

Anthony Joshua beats Eric Molina to retain IBF heavyweight title (Photos)

Anthony Joshua emerged victorious in the fight against Eric Molina after only three rounds, with Anthony dominating the fight in all the rounds.

All through the fight Eric was mostly on the defensive and rarely succeeded in throwing a punch, making the fight look like a mismatch. 

It ended halfway into the third round with Anthony knocking Molina to the canvas with several punches. The referee stepped in then to end the fight.

Moments after the win, Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, brought Wladimir Klitschko into the ring to announce that he will be fighting Anthony Joshua on April 29^th at Wembley Stadium.  It is believed that this fight will be the toughest so far for the Nigerian born British boxer, considering Klitschko’s numerous years in the ring.

Klitschko’s defeat to Tyson Fury at the end of last year came as a surprise to most, including to Klitschko. No doubt this fight with Joshua will be seen by Klitschko as a way to redeem himself and this makes the fight all the more intriguing. Joshua on his part seems confident about the fight and he expressed this in his speech to his audience;

 “Klitschko wants his belts back, may the best man win. I focus on myself, that's how I beat Wladimir Klitschko.”

Donald Trump signals willingness to confront China over 'one China policy' if they refuse to negotiate on trade, North Korea & tax policies

U.S president elect Donald Trump on Sunday signaled his administration's intention to confront China by refusing to accept Taiwan as part of 'one China', unless the Chinese government reduces its tax rates on American products, creates trade reforms that favors the American people, and helps out in ongoing military operations against North Korea.



Trump angered Chinese officials and caused diplomatic controversy when he recently picked up a call from Taiwan's leader congratulating him on his election victory- making it the first time a U.S president or president elect recognized Taiwan as a country or even had a phone conversation with Taiwanese government since the time of president Richard Nixon.

The U.S has always recognized Taiwan as part of 'one China' since the time of President Nixon but Trump on Sunday revealed that he will question the 'one China' policy and refuse to recognize Taiwan as part of China unless China comes back to the negotiating table in trade agreements, importations & exportations that'll favor America and severs it's relationship with North Korea- an 'enemy' of the U.S.


"I fully understand the 'one China' policy, but I don't know why we have to be bound by a 'one China' policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade," Trump said on "Fox News Sunday" programme.

'I mean, look, we're being hurt very badly by China with devaluation, with taxing us heavy at the borders when we don't tax them, with building a massive fortress in the middle of the South China Sea, which they shouldn't be doing, and frankly with not helping us at all with North Korea," Trump said.

"You have North Korea. You have nuclear weapons, and China could solve that problem, and they're not helping us at all," Trump said.

'I don't want China dictating to me and this was a call put into me. I didn't make the call, and it was a call, very short call saying 'congratulations, sir, on the victory.'
"It was a very nice call. Short. And why should some other nation be able to say I can't take a call. I think it actually would've been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it."

Chinese government officials believe Trump's antics could even go as far as stopping China from doing trade with the U.S completely.

China's Foreign Ministry-spokesman Geng Shuang said.
' China is seriously concerned by Trump's questioning of the one China policy'

'Bilateral cooperation would be out of the question if it was compromised or disrupted."
"Adhering to the one China principle is the political bedrock for the development US-China relations,"

Photo: Boyfriend stabs lover to death for refusing to make him ‘next-of-kin’ to her account in Rivers state

Officials of the Department for State Security DSS in Rivers state yesterday arraigned one Sotonye Martin, the boyfriend to a female staff of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Sophia Phillips Horsefall, and two others, Innocent Oluche and Wachukwu Ugochukwu, before a Port Harcourt magistrate court, for allegedly stabbing her to death on November 8th after she refused to make him, Sotonye, her next-of-kin to her bank account as well as her refusal to give him one million (N1 million) he had demanded from her.

According to Vanguard, Sotonye who has a 13 year old child with the deceased, lured her to his friend, Innocent Oluche's house where she was killed. After the act, the men dug a shallow grave, invited Wachukwu Ugochukwu, a spiritualist to perform some rituals and then buried her.

Counsel to the DSS, C.S. Eze told the court that the accused were brought before the court on a three-count charge which included “stabbing to death with a jack knife and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Law, Laws of Rivers State 1999.”

The accused persons did not take plea. Chief Magistrate F. Alikor after hearing the submission of the DSS Counsel, referred the casefile to the state Director of Public Prosecution, saying her court did not have jurisdiction to entertain matters over murder which was the second charge.

She ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison and adjourned the case indefinitely. Speaking to newsmen after the case was adjourned, elder brother to the deceased, Amatu Phillips, accused Sotonye of murdering his sister whom he had dated for 13 years, because of her wealth.

He claimed she had some money in her account and confided in the boyfriend who later kept on pestering her for financial support. According to him, after the sister had allegedly given him money several times, he came again demanding for N1 million which she refused. He alleged that the boyfriend later lured her to his friend’s house, offered her a fruit juice drink which, unknown to the sister, was drugged.

He alleged that when the boyfriend noticed that she was dizzy from effect of the drug, he stabbed her on the neck, demanding her ATM card and password.

He claimed the boyfriend had before that day persuaded his sister to change the name of her next of kin on her bank details to his name.

The Authority Newspapers Today December 8, 2016

The Authority Mobile app is out! Please visit Google Playstore, search for "Authority News" and click on "install" to download free of charge.

Today's top stories:

Marginalization: No Igbo among 24 AIGs - https://goo.gl/meG2kc

Resources Control Bill passes second reading - https://goo.gl/RHdl8g

 

I'm not ready for trial, Justice Ngwuta tells court - https://goo.gl/YaGRaF

FG appoints consultants for $1bn Eurobond issue - https://goo.gl/FmdLtH

APC Crisis: Oyegun, Saraki meeting deadlocked - https://goo.gl/CmBEbA

Defamation: Court strikes out Buhari's suit against AIT - https://goo.gl/hizFq9

Money Laundering: Patience Jonathan petitions Reps against EFCC - https://goo.gl/RrYi5y

Why we redeployed CSO to Gov. Wike - https://goo.gl/DvRHBE

Today's AUTHORITY ICON on Page 3 is Rev. Fr. Prof. Bonachristus Uchenna Umeogu -https://goo.gl/EQPl4G

 

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Download Video: Jikume-Avrami Pitakwa

The Port Harcourt diva -Jikume drops the energetic video of her hit single-Avrami Pitakwa. The video that defines the strength of Port Harcourt women.

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Photos: GOV. Ambode presides over swearing-in of newly appointed Permanent Secretary

 Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule, the new Permanent Secretary/Tutor-General District VI, Mrs. Oluwafunmilayo Olabisi Onadipe; her husband, Mr. Akogun Kola Onadipe, Son, Kipoju Onadipe and sister, Mrs. Ibiyinka Bamgbelu during the swearing-in of the newly appointed Permanent Secretary at the EXCO Chambers, Lagos House, Ikeja, on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. More photos after the cut...

Former Pres. Jonathan charges traditional rulers on peace

Former President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday charged traditional rulers across the country not to shirk from their responsibility of working towards ensuring that peace reigns in their domains.
Jonathan gave this charge in Oporoza, Delta State at the official presentation of staff of office to His Royal Majesty, Oboro-Gbaran II, Aketekpe, the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, just as the Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa described the former President as a man of peace who left good lessons for all Nigerians.
A statement issued by the former President’s Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, said that Jonathan also urged the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom and other traditional rulers to galvanize their subjects for the social and economic development of their kingdoms.

The former President described traditional rulers as special beings who occupy positions higher than that of mere mortals, noting that as such, they should play key roles in the development aspirations of the nation.

Jonathan said:

“Although we have here present, the governor, deputy governor, members of the National and State Assemblies, as well as other dignitaries holding positions in Government, at the traditional level we have only two sets of citizens; the ordinary mortals to which I also belong, and the superior mortals who are our traditional rulers. They are superior mortals because of what they represent and also because we believe in them. And we believe that they have a lot to do to stabilize their kingdoms.

“The governor has made a case for peace and I don’t want to belabor the point. But I always say that there can never be development without peace. It is the duty of every traditional ruler to have peace in his kingdom. They should also be able to mobilise their sons and daughters for the social and economic development of the people.

Although he believes that the situation could be improved, Jonathan further affirmed that there is relative peace in the region.

“In most cases, when we talk about the Niger Delta, those coming from outside our region will always think that it is a place where people cannot gather peacefully to handle this kind of ceremony. But here we are gathered and conducting our affairs in a peaceful environment. That gives me joy.”

He also urged Nigerians to lend their support to the effort to fully harness the abundant potentials of our great nation, stressing that Nigeria will continue to be a leading country in Africa and the world.

On the current hardship and economic difficulties in the land, Jonathan advised Nigerians to be peaceful, law abiding and optimistic, adding that the country would soon get over its temporary challenges.

“I believe that within this period there are challenges in the country, there are challenges in the Niger Delta and Gbaramatu Kingdom, but all these are temporary. Surely, our society will get over it. I believe Nigeria is still a great country and will continue to go on. Nigeria will succeed, Niger Delta will succeed and Gbaramatu Kingdom will succeed.”

Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who spoke earlier described Jonathan as a father figure in the Niger Delta who had done so much to stabilize the region and country.

“He (Jonathan) has done his best for this country. This country is united today because of the decisions that were taken for the best interest of our country. He is a man of peace and that is a lesson for us to learn, those of us who are still in Government and even our brothers and sisters who are not in Government; that in a peaceful situation, there is always a lot that can be achieved.”

NCC to hold the 79th Edition of Telecoms consumer parliament in Abuja

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has announced the 79^th Edition of the Telecoms Consumer Parliament (TCP) taking place on Thursday, 8^th of December at the NAF Conference CenterGwarimpa Expressway, Deeper Life Junction (Near Cash and Carry), Kado, Abuja. Time 10am.

The Telecoms Consumer Parliament is an outreach programme of the NCC which serves as a platform for consumers to meet face to face with their service providers to discuss any issues they may be facing. The 79^th Edition will focus on the Theme: IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DO NOT DISTURB: THE JOURNEY SO FAR.

Expected participants are Consumer Advocacy Groups, All Service Providers, Professional Unions, Trade Unions, Representatives of Student Bodies and Telecom Consumers.

Admission is Free.

For further enquiry and reservation….08035750962 or 08036266239.

Fashola lists achievements of his ministries in the last one year

As part of activities to mark his one year in office, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, addressed a press conference yesterday where he listed the gains of the three ministries under his watch. Read the text of his address below

Ladies and Gentlemen, Our memories will recall that on 11th November 2015, Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, concluded the process of constituting his cabinet by administering the oath of office on ministers. 


I was assigned to consolidate a newly merged ministry of Power Works and Housing, shortly after which I briefed members of the public and the press about our plans, in my maiden press briefing tagged "Setting The Agenda."

While some of the assumptions may have altered somewhat about the timing of the budget, a budget was eventually signed into law on Friday 6th May 2016 (6 months ago) and we have set about implementing the budget of N260.082B with releases of N70B made in June (for Quarter I) and N60B made in October (for Quarter II).

It is now exactly a year since we were sworn into office, and I believe it is an appropriate time to acquaint you with our progress of work.

Because 3 (THREE) ministries are involved, I will dwell on summaries in order to manage time, but from time to time I will highlight some details whenever they are necessary to explain a point and to reinforce our commitment to remain accountable to you, our employers.

WORKS

This ministry as we all know is responsible for civil Works especially the construction of roads, bridges, buildings and other similar civil engineering undertakings.

As I mentioned during my briefing on the agenda setting, we had inherited about 206 road projects already contracted out; with outstanding completion costs in the region of N1.5 Trillion.

Although the works ministry share of the 2016 appropriation was N260 Billion, which was a lot more than the 2015 budget of only N18 Billion that the last administration left, it is a drop in the ocean against the liabilities that were outstanding to contractors.

Our interactions with contractors showed that many of them had not been paid for an average of 2 to 3 years before we resumed, and this explained the stoppage of works, by the contractors, the layoff of workers, and consequently poor condition of many roads.

With limited resources against liabilities, with debts already owed, we had to make difficult choices of deciding which of the 206 roads under contract we should start with, and how many.

Our choices were informed by the realities of our economy and the size of our resources,

We resolved that all roads are economic roads but that some were more urgent and more impactful than others.

So our choices were determined by roads that carried the heaviest cargo, to allow farmers, businessman, industries and travelers move their goods and themselves across the country in order to drive productive activity.

Secondly, we chose roads that support our energy sufficiency and put our resources in roads leading to and from petroleum tank farms so that we can move petro, diesel and kerosene across Nigeria.

We also chose roads that led to and from our major sea and airports so that maritime business can go on, to drive the economy.

Therefore, we re-mobilized contractors back to work on roads across the 6 (SIX) Geo-Political zones, with the list provided in Annexure I to this brief which I will leave with you.

Some important roads in this category are:

- The Port Harcourt- Aba Road, where mobilization was delayed until Monday 31st October because of rains, and the difficulty of establishing a works yard.

- Sokoto – Tambuwal - Makera-Kontagara Road where work is going on, - (Sokoto-Kebbi-Niger States)

- Ilorin-Jebba Road, - (Kwara State)

- Loko-Oweto Bridge, - ( Nasarawa/Benue States)

- Shagamu- Ibadan , - (Oyo-Ogun State)

- Shagamu – Lagos, - (Lagos-Ogun State)

- Ogbomosho-Oko-Ilogbo-Osogbo , -(Oyo-Osun State)

- Funtua-Katsina , -(Katsina State)

- Wukari-Akwana , - (Taraba State)

- Abriba –Arochukwu – Ohafia , - (Abia State)

- Abuja – Lokoja – Airport , - (FCT/ Kogi State)

- Oji-Achi-Obeagu-Mmaku-Awgu-Ndeaboh-Mpu-Okpanku , -(Enugu State)

- Ajase Ipo – Offa – Erinle – Osun State Boundary , - (Kwara State)

- Ikot Ekpene Border- Aba – Owerri Dualisation , - (Akwa Ibom/Abia and Imo States)


We also paid consultants who are supervising these roads and had been denied payment for 2 to 3 years. This has helped to recover lost jobs, and put some money back in circulation, as part of a government strategy to build out of this recession.


As I said during our first briefing, our short-term objectives are to complete uncompleted road contracts, restore motorability back to as many roads as possible, improve journey times and reduce the cost of travel for commuters.


This has clearly started on the roads I have spoken about; and the results will accrue as progress on the works improve over time and the roads are completed.


In the medium to long term, we intend to cover more roads as our resources permit, and increase our maintenance capacity of road assets to ensure that we do not neglect our highways again in the manner we have done over the years to our collective detriment.

The first step to maintenance is to restore the authority of all the states controllers of works, to charge them to take responsibility for all federal roads within their states posting, and to bring up an annual budget that will be submitted to Parliament.

This will help us decentralize authority over road maintenance, vest responsibility on the people who are on ground and closer to the Roads so that they can resurface damaged roads, clear over-grown vegetation, enforce axle-load compliance, install signs and lane marking and gradually restore our highways back to contemporary quality.

2017 AND BEYOND – WORKS

Going forward in 2017, we have developed proposals for the budget to intervene in critical roads in the 6 (SIX) Geo-political zones that lead to and from major food producing states based on information supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture.

We plan to do the same for states that produce minerals from mining activity, and for states where we have strategic fuel depots.

For decades, we have paid almost no attention to bridges built across the country as though they are indestructible.

We are beginning to see erosion, stress, and in some cases failures and near collapse in Kano (Tamburawa), Lagos (Ijora), Kogi (Lokoja) Ogun (Long bridge on Lagos-Ibadan) Kaduna (Jaji) and other places.

Although we have started some work in a few places, we have only about N2 Billion to work in the 2016 budget.

We have nonetheless developed a 3 (THREE) year plan to cover 42 (Forty-Two) bridges that will require about N277 Billion authorization by Parliament over the period.

I must also point out that we received representation from parliamentarians about roads in their constituencies and from the monthly FRSC reports all of which have been factored into our next three-year plan.

How far we go, how much we get and how much we can do, now depends on how much money the country can get, and how much she gets approval to spend.

POWER

Following the privatization in 2013, the ministry is now largely a policymaker, and regulator through NERC [Nigerian electricity regulatory commission] and is now only directly responsible for expansion and maintenance of the transmission line through (TCN) and completion of projects started before the privatization which were uncompleted and about which I will share a few details.

The story in power is not different from that of works in terms of uncompleted projects in transmission.

As I said in my meeting briefly, we inherited over 100 transmission projects for which contractors were not paid for about three years.

This not only resulted in stoppage of work, laying off of workers, but left projects uncompleted.

But it also resulted in contractors abandoning over 800 containers, which contained transformers, switches, panels and other equipment needed as materials to complete transmission projects because they could not pay for them.

To compound the situation there was no provision in the budget of 2015 to pay them as only N5 Billion was budgeted for the Ministry of Power.


All this has changed. The ministry has N24 Billion for 2016 and has started paying contractors and getting the necessary approvals for them to return to work.


Examples of these are in Sokoto, Maiduguri, Okada, Alagbon, Damboa, Nasarawa, Gurara, Osogbo, Kashimbilla, Kumbotso, Ikot Ikpene to mention a few.


This puts a lie to the narrative that the transmission grid is static at 5000 MW and is not expanding because these projects add to the capacity.


Furthermore, with the budget we have started paying the shipping companies and warehouse owners who kept custody of the containers, and the report I received last week indicates that a first batch of about 400 containers will be released to contractors to go out and do their work.

In addition to transmission, we are working to complete uncompleted power generation projects to deliver on the incremental power program of our roadmap of incremental, steady and uninterrupted power.

Some of the projects that should start coming to conclusion in 2017 are the 215 MW Kaduna Power, 40 MW Kashimbilla Power (Hydro), 40 MW Gurara I Power (Hydro), 29 MW Dadin Kowa Power (Hydro), 10 MW Katsina Power (Wind) 1,125 MW (14 Solar projects) and the 240 MW Emergency Power Project for Afam (Gas).

We are working with the generation companies to increase their power generation capacity through repairs and maintenance.

Egbin has restored all its turbines even though it has suffered a gas outage as a result of vandalization.

Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro have increased the number of functional turbines, so they are producing 300 MW extra power during this year's rainy season, more than they did last year.

As at 5 November 2016, reports reaching me from the control center showed a peak generation of 4010 MW, and this is without the 3000 MW lost to gas pipe vandalization.

I am aware that efforts are in progress to repair and restore the damaged gas pipelines, and also to fast-track emergency gas supply.

Government has also recently provided a guarantee to ensure supply of gas to Calabar power plant, which has power and transmission, but no gas to operate efficiently.

On the distribution side, we continue to work with the DisCos to improve their customer service and in particular meters supply.

As you heard on a recent TV program hosted by Channels TV called 'The Crux' some of the local meter manufacturing companies attest now to improvement in orders to supply of meters.

As you will have also seen, I have been involved in meter distribution flag offs in Kano, Benin and Sokoto.

All told, while there is still work to do, and there is the big problem of liquidity to overcome, the promise ahead looks good, the plans are clear and our resolve to implement is unwavering.

2017 AND BEYOND - POWER

Going forward we intend to roll out our Rural Electrification Implementation program which Mr. President has now approved as required by the law.

Our objective is to improve access to power for rural communities.

You will have heard of our education intervention project, which is indeed a rural electrification implementation project.

We are using universities as one of the anchors because they are in rural areas and they represent a quick way to penetrate the rural areas and also expand to villages and towns in rural areas, close to the Universities.

We are starting with 37 federal universities, seven teaching hospitals, to which we plan to deploy 37 independent power plants of nine gas plants, and 28 solar plants to guarantee a cumulative 120 MW, to replace 1,105 generators that are producing a wasteful 210 MW.

We have done the audits and planning of all the schools and if we get financing authorization we can implement, to provide access to power to our people in the rural areas.

The second anchor of our Rural intervention is the use of small Hydro dams; that are in the rural areas to support agriculture and Agro processing by providing power.

The approval for the first 6 (SIX) is pending for consideration by the Federal Executive Council.

All of these sources of power, with embedded power from Paras Energy 40 MW gas in Lagos, the expected completion of Azura power in Edo, expected gas supply to Ihorbor Gas power plant, Gegeru power, Olorunsogo, Omotosho, Gbarain and others make me hopeful that we can get incremental power.

How well we do with making the incremental power steady and ultimately uninterrupted will depend on how we as a people resolve issues like vandalization, electricity theft, electricity conservation, invocation of court powers in utility regulation and of course strikes.

HOUSING

We have not yet started constructing houses. But tenders have been considered and over 500 contracts are now ready to be issued for work to start in earnest.

However, we have received land from 27 (TWENTY-SEVEN) states as at 24th October and more are still responding.

We have completed simple designs of one, two and three-bedroom bungalows for the northern states to respond to the cultural, climatic and land use peculiarities.

We have completed simple designs of one, two and three bedroom blocks of Flats for Southern states also in response to similar peculiarities.

We have identified inputs like doors, windows, tiles, paint, roofing materials that can be made locally and we have resolved to use only made in Nigeria inputs unless there is no local production capacity.

We have done some inventory of quantities of materials needed in order to provide investment information for local manufacturers to position to respond and supply in order to create employment and get factories back to work.

These include:

A) Materials

i) 22,288 - Doors
ii) 27,849 - Windows
iii) 3,502 - Water cisterns 
iv) 3,502 Wash hand basins
v) 2,830 - Kitchen Sinks
vi) 261,299 - Sq. Meters of floor tiles
vii) 178, 680 - Sq. meters of wall tiles
viii) 561,119 litres of paint
ix) 342,960 Sq. Meters of roofing material

B) Skilled Labour

413,000 Man days

C) Unskilled Labour

440,000 - Man Days

While our planning and research continues, the above is at least indicative of the kind of attention and dedication we are demanding of our staff and the response we are getting.

2017 AND BEYOND - HOUSING

Going forward in 2017, we plan to build more houses first to stimulate jobs.

Thereafter, we plan to assess the affordability and the acceptability of our designs.

Thereafter, we plan to industrialize the production of the most affordable and acceptable designs.

We will then increase supply using private sector as developers while government will then concentrate on strengthening institutions like the Federal Mortgage Bank to deliver on its core mandate of providing mortgages to working class people to own their homes.

It is my belief that if we can achieve this, the size of our housing deficit will not appear that daunting again, because it will be a system that can respond every year, instead of once in a while, to repeat housing construction, delivery and acquisition.

How much we can then deliver will be defined by the size of our resources and our ambition, and not by the absence of a workable plan.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am done. I thank you for listening.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing​