Approves (3)

The Federal Government yesterday approved a whopping $3.5 billion equivalent of N525 billion for the construction of a new 700 KV SuperGrid aimed at shoring up power generation capacity to 7000 mega watts by April 2011.

The approval which was endorsed by President Goodluck Jonathan, after a meeting with the Presidential Action Committe on Power (PACP), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja is completed in four years.

Ima Niboro, special adviser on media and publicity said in a statement that “$3.5 billion power project is expected to fulfill Nigeria’s need to transmit increasing amounts of power across vast distances which the existing 330/132KV grid cannot meet”...

Niboro stated that “in granting approval for the SuperGrid President Jonathan directed that it should be funded as a federal asset with additional financing from private investors and international finance and development agencies”.

“The SuperGrid which will run along the same route as the existing 330/132KV grid will also address Nigeria’s future energy challenges including transition to more sustainable energy sources, reduction of power loss per transmitted megawatt and improving power voltage profiles across the country,” he stated further.

The presidential spokesman said “the huge advantage of the 700 KV supergrid over the existing 330/132 KV grid is that it will significantly reduce the huge amount of power currently lost in transmission”.

He said that “without the supergrid, the quantum of power lost in transmission will continue to increase as more power progressively becomes available for evacuation from new and rehabilitated generating stations. Periodic systemic failures will also become more frequent”.

Niboro said “Nigeria’s available generation capacity will rise to 6939 MW by April next year and 14019 MW by December 2013.In another development, President Jonathan will on Thursday, August 26, 2010 present a new roadmap for the reformation of Nigeria’s power sector to the country’s private sector”.

He said President Jonathan will on Thursday, August 26, 2010 present a new roadmap for the reformation of Nigeria’s power sector to the country’s private sector

According to him “President Jonathan will seize the opportunity of the event in Lagos to acquaint members of the private sector with fresh investment opportunities inherent in the power sector reform programme and invite greater private sector support for the programme”.
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Senate approves N87.7B for INEC

The Senate has approved a supplementary budget of N87.7 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Lawmakers said this will aid the commission in organising a credible election in 2011.

The budget approved for the commission is however N2 billion less than what it requested.

The leadership of the commission had asked for N89.59 billion for the conduct of the election which is five months away. However, following a meeting with the commission's team and the House of Representatives and Senate, the parties agreed to cut down the request.

Ayogu Eze, the Senate spokesman, said, "At the end of our meetings, we looked at the budget thoroughly and saw that there were areas in which we needed to give attention like transportation and logistics. We moved money around and put money in crucial areas and made a saving of N2 billion," he said.

Mr Jega had explained that among other things that were previously left out, the commission needed a van for each of the 120, 000 registration points across the nation.

In his submission to the National Assembly, President Goodluck Jonathan had noted that, "the additional funds is to cover the cost of procuring electronic equipment and other ancillary expenses related to ... a fresh voter registration exercise as well as the procurement of additional ballot boxes." He added that, "we propose to fund this request by raising federal government bonds."

Reservations

The approval did not come without misgivings however as senators questioned the credibility of some allocations proposed in the budget. The budget has an allocation of N54.9 billion for ICT-voter registration system and solution, N4 billion for vehicles, and a separate N5.4 billion for the review of the voter register.

There is also an allocation of N10.8 billion for operations - personnel cost requirements and cost for registration of voters nationwide, and N222 million for hotel accommodation for political appointees which are believed to be the state INEC commissioners.

"We have expressed our reservations. In spite of the reservations, we don't want to give INEC or anybody an excuse for not conducting a credible election next year," the Senate President, David Mark said. "We have gone the extra mile to do this so that INEC can deliver credible election in 2011 that will meet international standards."

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in his remarks, advised that the commission apply the funds in a way that will benefit the Nigerian economy and generate employment, saying they should consider patronising indigenous companies for some of the material they might need for the elections.

The approved budget has been harmonised by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, which is expected to reconvene today and pass the budget too. After both arms of the National Assembly have passed the budget, it will be handed over to the president to sign into law. The electoral commission, which has now become an independent institution, can then draw the funds directly from the federation account.

Mr Ekweremadu's appeal to the commission to patronize indigenous companies may not be feasible, as Mr Jega had, at a briefing with senior journalists, ruled out this option, saying based on the shortness of time between the registration of voters and the actual elections in January, the commission cannot afford any delay or disappointment. He said his predecessor, Maurice Iwu, was disappointed at the last minute by local contractors and that the commission had lost a lot of time and could not afford such now..

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French legislators in the lower house overwhelmingly agreed on a ban on burqa-style Islamic veils yesterday as part of a rigorous effort to define and defend French values.

But many of the country’s Muslim population are not happy with the development.

Those who supported the ban say face-covering veils do not conform with the European country’s ideal of women equality or its secular tradition, the Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday.

The bill is controversial abroad but popular in France, where its relatively few outspoken critics say conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy has resorted to xenophobia to attract far-right voters.

The ban on burqas and niqabs will go in September to the Senate, where it also is likely to pass. Its biggest hurdle will likely come after that, when France 's constitutional watchdog scrutinizes it. Some legal scholars say there is a chance it could be deemed unconstitutional..

Spain and Belgium have similar bans in the works. France has Europe 's largest Muslim population; about 5 million of the country's 64 million people are believed to be Muslims. While ordinary headscarves are common in the country, only about 1,900 women are believed to wear full face-covering veils.

The main body representing French Muslims says such garb is not suitable in France but it worries that the ban will stigmatize all Muslims.

In yesterday’s vote at the National Assembly, there were 335 votes for the bill and just one against it. Most members of the main opposition group, the Socialist Party, walked out and refused to vote, though they in fact support a ban.

They said they have differences over where it should be enforced, underscoring the controversy among French politicians on the issue.

The bill bans face-covering veils everywhere that can be considered public space, even in the street, but the Socialists only want it in certain places, such as government buildings, hospitals and public transport.

France's government has sought to insist that assimilation is the only path for immigrants and minorities and last year it launched a grand nationwide debate on what it means to be French. The country has had difficulty integrating generations of immigrants and their children, as witnessed by weeks of rioting by youths, many of them minorities, in troubled neighborhoods in 2005.

At the National Assembly, few dissenters spoke out about civil liberties or fears of fanning anti-Islam sentiment. Before the vote, the Greens lawmaker Francois de Rugy said the conservatives "are throwing oil on the fire — you are reviving tensions just to win votes."

Legislator Berengere Poletti, of Sarkozy's party, said face-covering veils "are a prison for women, they are the sign of their submission to their husbands, brothers or fathers."

The niqab and burqa are also seen in the country as a gateway to extremism and an attack on secularism, a central value of France for more than a century. Discussions in the country have dragged on for more than a year since Sarkozy declared in June 2009 that the burqa is "not welcome" in France .

There has been some concern the bill could prod terror groups to eye France or its citizens as potential targets. Following Sarkozy's comments, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb issued a statement on web sites vowing to "seek vengeance against France."

The legislation would forbid face-covering Muslim veils in all public places in France and calls for euros 150 ($185) fines or citizenship classes, or both.

The bill is also aimed at husbands and fathers — anyone convicted of forcing someone else to wear the garb risks a year of prison and a euros 30,000 ($38,000) fine, with both penalties doubled if the victim is a minor.

Officials have taken pains to craft a language that does not single out Muslims. While the proposed legislation is colloquially referred to as the "anti-burqa law," it is officially called "the bill to forbid concealing one's face in public."

It refers neither to Islam nor to veils. Officials insist the law against face-covering is not discriminatory because it would apply to everyone, not just Muslims. Yet they cite a host of exceptions, including motorcycle helmets, or masks for health reasons, fencing, skiing or carnivals.

In March, France 's highest administrative body, the Council of State, warned that the law could be found unconstitutional. It said that neither French secularism nor concerns about equality for women, human dignity or public security could have legal justifications.
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