Ikioye Livingston Orutugu, new Anambra state Commissioner of Police, has expressed his readiness to cooperate and synergize with other security agencies to effectively fight criminality in the state.
Orutugu made the disclosure during interaction with newsmen in Awka on Wednesday.
He said that he had visited key security agencies in the state including the Commander of 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support) Onitsha, Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as the Rapid Response Squad Formation, Awkuzu.
“The aim is to forster stronger collaboration in tackling security challenges within the state.
“During my visits I emphasised the need for seamless coordinating intelligence sharing and resource integration among security agencies to enhance public safety and sustain ongoing joint operations in critical areas of the state,” he added.
According to him, the command remains committed to proactive policing strategies and partnership aimed at ensuring peace and security across the state.
Orutugu popularly known as “the Fear” among his colleagues and the 35th Commissioner of Police in the state appealed to Anambra citizens for adequate information and cooperation to enable police successfully carry out its policing of the state.
The proactive police officer who in his days in the Police Mobile Force (PMF) successfully led a team in the Ife-Modakeke, Osun state crisis and quelling of protest and riot without violence, said he would ensure that the command successfully bring down crime rate to the barest minimum in the state.
He warned against extortion and bribe taking by the police personnel in the state, adding that the command under his watch would not condone indiscipline.
Orutugu rather urged them to show more commitment to duty and improve on timely response to incidents.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has reaffirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will serve his full two terms in office, spanning from 2023 to 2031.
Ganduje’s statement comes in response to a warning from former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, who suggested that President Tinubu risks losing his re-election bid in 2027 due to dwindling support from the North.
Speaking on Tuesday at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja while receiving the Tinubu Northern Youth Forum, Ganduje dismissed concerns over power shifts, insisting that the established principle of North-South power rotation would remain intact.
The Kano-born politician cited former President Muhammadu Buhari’s two-term tenure as a precedent, asserting that Tinubu would enjoy the same privilege.
“When a leader from the Northern part of this country was in office for 8 years, we advocated that the next President in our party should come from the south. And luckily enough, we worked very hard with the cooperation of Nigerians,” he said.
“Our President has come from the South and is going, In Sha Allah, for a second term, 2027. And then after that, it will be the turn of the northern part of this country.”
Ganduje, who also met with the Tinubu Young Generation Forum earlier in the day at the party secretariat, argued that President Tinubu is doing very well while at the helm since last year.
He described Tinubu as a reformer, visionary leader, who is focused on repositioning the country for sustainable growth and development.
“We are happy with his reforms because his reforms are absolutely necessary for the social and economic development of this country. There is no doubt so many things went wrong over a long period of time and it would require, there is no doubt it requires surgery before we can get it right,” he said.
“But we are happy that we have started seeing the outcome of the reforms, especially in the economic side and we believe this will continue to yield positive results so that the legacy and the renewed hope agenda will be achieved.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Daniel Bwala, revealed on Tuesday that his previous criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration stemmed from his position as a member of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, Bwala clarified that his past remarks were politically motivated, aligned with his role as a PDP spokesperson at the time.
He emphasized that political rivalry often involves highlighting opposing perspectives but assured that his current role as a presidential adviser is focused on contributing positively to national development.
“I criticised Tinubu’e election and administration in the past because I was in the opposition.
“The opposition’s work is to criticise the sitting government and hold them accountable. My views changed after I met the President, and he saw a need to appoint me,” he said.
Recall that before his appointment, Bwala accused Tinubu of rigging the election.
He said that the President would face challenges with moral legitimacy upon assuming office.
“Right now, although the presumption of law is in favour of Tinubu until the final determination of the election tribunal and appeals, he will struggle with moral legitimacy (because he rigged the election) for 240 days of his presidency,” Bwala posted on X.
“Eminent scholars, human rights activists, and strong opinion molders who have traditionally been critical are suddenly, for cultural and tribal reasons, throwing their weight behind him in a clandestine way,” he added.
In May 2023, during an interview with Arise Television, Bwala doubled down on his claims, challenging the legitimacy of Tinubu’s victory.
He described Tinubu as a “president-select” rather than a “president-elect,” accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission of manipulating the presidential election results.
“We are in court to say it was a rigged process. As long as there is no final determination of the matter, we have every right under law, equity, and justice to express our opinion that he is a president-select and not a president-elect,” Bwala declared.
Bwala’s skepticism extended back to March 2023, when he insisted in another interview that the PDP won the election.
“We won. If these results were allowed to be read from the result sheet, we won with over one million votes. Nigerian people voted PDP as the winner of this election, but history and posterity will judge,” he maintained.
As raise of dust in last week directive by the Police Service Commission, PSC, to certain category of police chiefs to proceed on compulsory retirement is yet to settle down, a security expert has described the decision as ethnic persecution while calling on President Tinubu for urgent intervention.
In its directive last week, the PSC ordered police chiefs who have attained 60 years of age and those who have served the force for 35 years plus those it says falsified their age to proceed on compulsory retirement .
However, a security expert, Prince Shadrack Adewole Ogunyemi,in urging Tinubu to look into the matter with a view to putting what is wrong and right in the retirement execise, said that a critical review of the retirement revealed that some of the affected officers were persecuted because of the section they hailed from in the country. According to Ogunyemi, the issue of “Force Entrants” with their appointment dates have been settled by Appeal Court in 2017 when PSC appealled against some police chiefs who a lower court had ruled in their favour over appointment date.
The Security Expert wondered why the PSC did not approach the courts to enable it come up with the decision it arrived at last week . This, he said has led to shock, mental torture and embarrassment ti several officers and their families.
” If you look at the list of the retired officers, 90 percent of it are officers from the Southern part of our country. This policy of force entrants, i can say categorically was initiated in the late 1980s by those who had used all means to ensure that northerners dominate the force”. Ogunyemi while calling on Tinubu to intervene over the matter, urged the president to call on the case file regarding the retirement issue.
“The same PSC that issued a directive in 2017 to the then IGP on Regularisation of the Date of Entry of Officers of Force Entrants in Courses 18,19 and 20 should not, 8 years after, be singing a different song for the same officers without recourse to the courts”
” I don’t think the PSC, in taking this decision, was properly informed. To rectify this anomaly, President Tinubu, all stakeholders must review this unwholesome directive that has affected several lives negatively”.
The 197 Senior Police Officers, who were unceremoniously retired by the Police Service Commission (PSC) due to the Regularisation Of First Date Of Entry Exercise, are not ready to accept it without a fight. According to them, the PSC, led by a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Mr Hashimu Argungu, may have taken that stance without knowing of an existing judgement on the same issue. According to sources, since the 13th of January 2021, the industrial court of Nigeria in Abuja Judicial Division in suit Nos NCIN/ABJ/345/2019 and NICN/ABJ/353/2019 had ruled on it. According to crimeworld.com.ng, the affected officers, who were part of Force Entrants Courses 18, 19, and 20, were accused of falsifying their service records. However, court documents reveal that the issue had been settled in their favour by the Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja, with judgments delivered on January 13, 2021, in suit numbers NCIN/ABJ/345/2019 and NICN/ABJ/353/2019.
Despite the court judgment, the PSC and the Nigeria Police Force resorted to self-help, ignoring the court’s decision and perverting justice. The PSC had issued a directive to the then IGP on the Regularisation Of the Date Of Entry Of Officers Of Force Entrants in Courses 18, 19, and 20 in a letter dated 22nd June 2020. These officers entered the Force as non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and later acquired higher university degrees.
Upon applying for the Cadet ASP programmes along with their civilian counterparts, where some of the civilians were employees of banks, federal, state and local employees, and attended interviews, they were appointed as Cadets Assistant Superintendent Of Police (Cadet ASP). They were issued fresh appointment letters with fresh dates after the 18 months of training in line with a decision in 1989 reference signal number CE 2710/PS/VOL 3/205 dated 1st June 1989 that NCOs before taking up a fresh appointment as cadet ASP must resign their earlier appointment and start afresh as the date of their first appointment. This was re-emphasized in the PSC 24th plenary decision in letter no PSC/1524/111/275 dated 25th October 2017 to the IGP to implement. The Police delay in implementing the decision of the PSC 24th plenary prompted officers concerned to approach the court and judgement was delivered in favour of courses 18,19 and 20 which the PSC directed the police to implement. The Police in signal number CB:3594/FS/FHQ/ABJ/ VOL 2/244 DTO 291225/07/ 2021 implemented the judgement of the court and the Police Service Commission was communicated on 30th April 2021. It is not clear whether the present management of the PSC was unaware of this development. Though the Industrial Court ruled in favour of these officers, the PSC undaunted, proceeded to the Appeal Court for a better interpretation. At the Appeal court again, the learned justices upheld the decision of the lower court and even fined the PSC N1 million for abuse of the court process; for bringing such a matter that had been duly adjudicated up at the lower court. Sequel to the Appeal Court judgement, both the PSC and the Police authority jointly agreed to implement the same and recall officers who may have been retired with regards to the ‘Regularisation Of Date Of Entry Exercise’ of the PSC back to their offices.
A signal sighted from the PSC to the police dated June 24, 2020, titled Re: Decision of the Commission’s 24th Plenary Meeting: Regulation of date of first appointed reads thus: “The Commission wishes to refer you to a letter PSC/1524/111/275 dated October 25, 2017, on the above subject matter. “This is to reiterate that the Commission’s 24th Plenary Meeting held on 27th, 28th September 2017Considered/Complainant forwarded to it by aggrieved police officers if course 18, 19 Police Academic owing to the controversy surrounding their date of first appointment and decided that in line with previous decision taken on a similar matter, all officers with similar situation caused by signal N0. CE2710/ PS/VOL3/205 dated June 1, 1989, who were directed to resign their appointment as NCOs before taking up fresh appointments as Cadet ASP are to maintain the date of their appointment as Cadet ASP on the date of their first appointment.”
Some of the affected officers contended that Argungu was in service when the Police authority got judgment over the PSC on the issue, stressing: “It is alarming that the PSC and the Nigeria Police Force would disregard the rule of law and ignore the court’s judgment. This is a clear case of injustice, and we demand that the authorities take immediate action to rectify this situation. “How can Argungu-led PSC be talking about this issue that had been settled years back in which the PSC was even fined millions for abuse of court process? “Is it that he is not privy to files of the court judgements? Most of us affected by the latest directive entered the Force as NCOs as graduates and later we were interviewed and passed. “After that, we were issued with fresh appointment letters with fresh dates of entry; which means our years as NCOs had been cancelled. The matter became an issue of contention and we went to court and defeated the PSC. “They even went to Appeal Court and again, we won. The PSC was even fined N1million for abuse of court process.” Credit: crimeworld.com.ng
A professor at the University of Uyo, Prof. Ignatius Uduk, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment by the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Uyo.
Uduk was convicted for publishing false election results and committing perjury related to the 2019 state House of Assembly election in Akwa Ibom North-West.
He was found guilty of charges brought by the Independent National Electoral Commission for his actions as the returning officer during the election in Essien Udim State Constituency.
The charges included perjury and the publication of false results during the 2019 general elections.
His conviction comes four years after Prof. Peter Ogban, a professor of Soil Science at the University of Calabar, was also jailed for similar offences related to election manipulation.
Former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom,Mike Igini, played a key role in initiating both cases.
He secured the conviction of Ogban before his retirement in 2022.
Uduk was initially arraigned in December 2020, after an arrest warrant was issued for him due to his repeated failure to appear in court.
The Professor of Human Kinetics pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial, however, experienced multiple delays, including changes in his defence counsel and an incident where Uduk collapsed in the dock during cross-examination.
On Wednesday, Justice Bassey Nkanang, the presiding judge at Uyo High Court 5, delivered the ruling.
Uduk was acquitted of the first charge, but found guilty of publishing false election results and perjury.
The judge sentenced him to three years imprisonment on each of the two counts, to be served concurrently.
“In respect of Count 1, the defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted. In respect of Count 2, the defendant is hereby found guilty of the offence of publication of false results contrary to and punishable under section 123(4) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
“For Count 3, the defendant is hereby found guilty of the offence of perjury under Section 119(1) of the Criminal Code Law of Akwa Ibom state,” Justice Nkanang ruled.
After the court session counsel for INEC, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), explained that the case related to the 2019 general elections, not the 2023 polls.
He emphasised the importance of the ruling as a deterrent to future offenders.
Onwuenwunor described Uduk’s conduct as a serious disservice to democracy, stating:
“This case relates to the 2019 general elections and not 2023. It was initiated by former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, with the support of the then Chairman against those that committed infractions against the system. It has taken us five years to prosecute Prof Uduk for offences he committed against the state. The judgment is going to serve as a deterrent to others that may be engaged tomorrow by INEC, to help ensure credibility in the electoral process, but who turn around to sabotage it for selfish reasons.”
On the specifics of the offence, Onwuenwunor added: “On 10 March 2019, he had earlier submitted a handwritten note detailing how he was chased away from the collation centre and that he was forced to announce the result. Less than 24 hours later, he generated another result, came up with the official final result, declaring the winner for the election. He returned a winner for an election that there was no collation in any of the levels, no collation from the Polling Unit, no collation from Ward Level, none at the Local Government Area level before it got to him as Returning Officer.”
The INEC counsel also criticised Uduk’s repeated court absences and the fraudulent medical reports he used to delay proceedings.
“He refused to attend court on several occasions and procured a forged medical report from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, saying he was sick. It took the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command to verify the authenticity of that medical report. It turned out from the police report that he was never anywhere near Lagos on those days he claimed and the doctor he claimed issued the medical report never existed in the payroll of the university’s teaching hospital.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday urged Nigerians to be patient with the government amid the current economic hardship.
Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, while leading members of the G-5 and other political associates on a condolence visit to Governor Seyi Makinde,
Wike said President Bola Tinubu’s policies were designed to improve the country’s economic situation.
Makinde’s elder brother, Sunday Makinde, passed away on Friday, January 24, 2025, at the age of 65.
Wike was accompanied by former governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Samuel Ortom (Benue), as well as Senators Sandy Onor, Philip Aduda, Olaka Nwogu, Mao Ohuabunwa, and Chibudom Nwuche, among others.
The minister acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians were facing but maintained that the government’s ongoing economic policies would yield positive results in due time.
Wike said:“I have always told people to be patient with this government. This country has faced significant challenges in the past, and it’s essential to recognize the progress we’ve made.
“Nigerians often forget where we were and the efforts being put in place to improve our situation.
“We have to give it time. It’s not like a miracle. The policies Mr. President is implementing will have some effects, and people will feel them, but in the end, we will achieve what we want to achieve.”
He assured Nigerians of better days ahead, saying:“Although we may have to endure some hardships now, we should not panic. Mr. President genuinely cares for our country, and I assure you that better days are ahead.”
While commiserating with the Makinde family, the minister expressed deep condolences and emphasized the importance of unity in times of grief.
“In this moment of profound loss, we are here to offer our love and solidarity.
“We stand by our brother, Makinde, in this trying time. Losing a loved one is never easy, and we want to assure him that he is not alone,” Wike said.
Also on Wednesday, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and former chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Bode George, led a delegation of party leaders, including former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, to commiserate with Makinde.
In his remarks to both Wike’s and George’s entourages, Makinde expressed gratitude for their support, acknowledging their solidarity during his time of grief.
He urged them to reflect on the unexpected passing of his brother, emphasising the importance of prioritising physical wellness, especially for those in public office.
It was gathered that many others are considering the move, particularly those in Lagos, following the recent crash in the prices of refined products by the $20bn Lekki-based Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Already some dealers that used to have the NNPCL logo on their filling stations located around Wawa on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, as well as at Ibafo, still along the busy road, have dropped the name of the national oil firm.
Independent marketers are seeking to achieve adequate product off-take at a cheaper rate, as the deregulation of the downstream oil sector has led to intense competition.
Many filling stations formerly affiliated with the national oil company are now being renamed and rebranded under the ownership of private oil marketers, particularly in Lagos and surrounding states.
It was also learned that more marketers may relinquish their licences with NNPCL due to the reduced loading costs of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) refined by the Dangote refinery, which is currently lower than the landing cost of imported petrol.
The PUNCH reports that a petrol price war was reignited in the sector recently after the Dangote Petroleum Refinery slashed its loading costs to N890 from N950 per litre.
Dealers explained that the rebranding of filling stations is a tactic by the marketers to pick up cheaper products from the Dangote refinery, and other import sources at a cheaper rate.
This assertion was confirmed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, during an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
A franchise licence in the oil sector refers to an official authorisation granted to an individual or company to operate a business or distribute products under an established brand or system within the oil industry.
This typically involves a contractual agreement that allows the franchisee to utilise the franchisor’s brand, resources, and operational model in exchange for fees or a percentage of revenue.
Ukadike explained that marketers have adopted this new approach because the NNPCL is no longer the exclusive importer and distributor of refined petroleum products.
He said, “Yes, that observation is correct. Some marketers are changing and rebranding. Remember that there was a time NNPCL was the sole distributor and importer of petrol. So, marketers then gave their filling stations as franchises so that they could get products.
“So marketers normally give their companies to NNPCL to be able to have petroleum products. But now that the game has changed, you can even see some marketers now changing to MRS filling stations. Because MRS is now selling cheaper than any other station.
“People want where they want to get turnover and return on investment. If you are carrying Total on as a brand name and Total is not giving you petrol products, what is the sense of carrying the name? You have to remove it and get a better alternative. Most of those filling stations (that are changing name), NNPC don’t own them. NNPC only collected them on the franchise.”
Attempts to contact the NNPCL spokesperson, Femi Soneye, for an explanation of why marketers are switching from the company’s brand, proved unsuccessful, as he did not reply to messages sent to his phone.
An oil and gas expert, Olatide Jeremiah, who confirmed the arrangement said marketers used the franchise licence as a method to secure cheaper products from NNPCL which was still importing at the time.
He confirmed that the avenue that provided more revenue was disrupted by the emergence of the Dangote refinery and the inability of the national oil firm to secure an agreement to fix petrol prices with the Lekki-based plant.
Jeremiah, who is the Chief Executive Officer of petroleumprice.ng noted, “Yes, it’s true. It all happened after the subsidy was removed but before the emergence of the Dangote refinery.”
He further narrated, “After the removal and petrol price went up, NNPCL was asked to manage the price and should not be allowed to keep skyrocketing. So NNPCL and the majors were pegging the price at N500 but the landing cost was above the amount. This affected importers and independent marketers who imported fuel. For instance, Petrocam imported and claimed that its landing cost was N700 but the majors and NNPCL were selling at N500 per litre. That is a difference of N200 and was a huge loss.
“So actually NNPCL was subsidising internally and when independent marketers noticed this and were losing sales, they began applying for NNPCL franchise lincence. The marketers paid millions to get the franchise licence because they were loading from NNPCL depot at a cheaper rate.
“NNPCL was the one dictating price for all the majors at that time because of public outcry and they used to buy, till Dangote came in. They also wanted to do the same thing with Dangote to fix the price but the arrangement didn’t work because Dangote wanted to sell to everyone. Its price was better and independent marketers could buy directly.
“The franchise licence was also an avenue to make more profit because some marketers got licence for one of their stations but would transport products to other stations and sell at a higher price to Nigerians. The slot of getting fuel tankers at that time was twice in a month.”
The Chairman of PETROAN in Lagos State, Akinola Ogunyolemi, said most of the outlets are not originally owned by the NNPC.
He said the removal of the NNPCL symbol might mean the end of an agreement or a breach of it by either party.
“These are individual outlets. What they do is that, if an NNPCL contract expires and they are not ready to move forward with them or if they get a juicy offer, they will remove the NNPCL logo. They will rebrand again and put other people’s names. That could be the reason.
“Most of the outlets are not NNPCL-owned. You can have your filling station built and put NNPCL there, with your contract to them. Maybe they could not meet up with your agreement with them, (because they too also have some breach of contract sometimes), you might decide to go and give the station to Mobil or Total. It is yours,” Ogunyolemi said.
Experts also noted that more licenses may still be revoked because the price of imported petrol now costs more than products obtained from the Dangote refinery.
According to the latest data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association, the on-spot cost of landing PMS has reached N910.14 per litre at the ASPM and N910.52 at the NPSC depot.
The document also stated the 30-day average cost of petrol surged to N939.03 per litre.
Meanwhile, fresh details emerged regarding the behind-the-scenes developments that contributed to the reduction in the ex-gantry loading cost of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, sourced from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and a possible reduced retail cost for Nigerians.
The refinery in a statement signed by Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, said the strategic adjustment is a direct response to the positive outlook within the global energy and gas markets, as well as the recent reduction in international crude oil prices.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced the ex-depot (gantry) price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, from N950 to N890, effective from Saturday, 1st February 2025.
“This strategic adjustment is a direct response to the positive outlook within the global energy and gas markets, as well as the recent reduction in international crude oil prices,” the statement read.
It noted that the price revision reflects the ongoing fluctuations in global crude oil markets, as highlighted in the refinery’s statement on 19th January, when a modest increase was implemented due to the previously rising international crude oil prices.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, was traded at $76.76 per barrel on Tuesday, marking a reduction of $4 from $81 per barrel recorded in early January.
While this assertion is totally accurate, marketers in the downstream sector informed our correspondent that a pricing competition between Dangote, the NNPCL and some marketers contributed to the decision to reduce its petrol costs.
This fresh pricing war started about a week ago after the NNPCL and some major marketers secured an alternative source to import refined products at a cheaper landing cost compared to Dangote’s price.
Recall that The PUNCH reported last Friday that the national oil firm and other marketers in the downstream oil sector imported more than 633 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) in January 2025 despite the production of these commodities domestically.
A marketer said, “We had noticed for some weeks that Dangote and private depot prices were at the same level unlike before when there was a N20 difference. So we found out that some people are sourcing cheaper products outside the country and that’s why they are going head-on with Dangote. Those depots didn’t want to get out of business and that was why they had to do it to be more competitive.”
Another source who confirmed the development said the concerns expressed by bulk buyers operating at a loss of N31.02 per litre or a total loss of N310,159,109.59 made Dangote senior executives hold a meeting.
The source noted, however, that despite the reduction in output, the refinery continues to maintain a steady profit, demonstrating its ability to adapt and remain financially successful.
He said, “The price reduction from Dangote was somehow inevitable because there were serious complaints and concerns from their buyers. This made Dangote senior executives to meet on Friday between 4 and 5 pm to discuss. What has happened is basically the effect of deregulation in the downstream sector and Nigerians should expect more pricing war between competitors in the sector.”
The Federal Government has approved N452bn for the construction and rehabilitation of 14 major roads across the country, as part of the Renewed Hope Administration’s comprehensive infrastructure initiative.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, made the announcement following the 23rd Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Umahi explained that these projects span several states, and the funding will be used to expedite their completion and improve nationwide connectivity.
Among the approved projects is the N22bn Agaie-Katcha-Baro Road in Niger State, which will be handled by Messrs GR Building Construction Limited.
Cross River State’s Odukpani Junction and the central section of the Calabar–Ikom–Ogoja Road will undergo rehabilitation with an N26.335bn contract awarded to Samatech.
Other projects include the N10.89bn Ajaokuta-Ajibo/Iyana-Mosa Road in Ogun State, the N9.33bn Inoma-Iyaka-Abaji section of the Ibaji-Odulu-Ajibu Road in Anambra, and the N14.37bn Umuahia Ituano-Ikot Ekpene Road, awarded to Messers Heartland Reckon Construction Company.
Additional road projects include the N33.42bn Kaduna-Jos Road (Phase 1), N11.81bn Yola-Fufure Road, and N13bn Ijebu-Ibutita-Ebe Road in Ogun State, among others.
Umahi also noted that N30bn would be allocated to the Lagos–Ibadan Road project to finalize the Lagos-bound stretch.
Furthermore, the government approved an N7bn rescoping plan for the AK Bypass, to be handled by Ghitto Construction Limited.
The FEC also approved several water infrastructure projects aimed at bolstering water supply in Abuja and its surrounding areas.
Umahi emphasised that these projects reflect the government’s commitment to improving the nation’s infrastructure and connectivity.
He further clarified that the Lagos-Ibadan Road requires an additional N30bn to complete its Lagos-bound section, and he promised that all outstanding road projects would be closely monitored to ensure timely completion.
Elon Musk’s Starlink has already transformed global internet access, but now it’s taking connectivity a step further. The latest innovation—Direct-to-Cell—enables standard iPhones and Android phones to make calls from anywhere on Earth, without requiring additional hardware.
This development could change the way we think about mobile networks. Picture yourself deep in a remote jungle, out at sea, or hiking in a desert—all places where cell towers are nonexistent. Thanks to Starlink’s expanding satellite infrastructure, soon you won’t have to worry about losing signal ever again.
No New Devices Needed—Just Your Smartphone
Unlike traditional satellite phones, which require bulky equipment and specialized SIM cards, Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service works with any LTE-enabled smartphone. This means that if your phone can connect to a 4G network, it will be able to tap into Starlink’s satellites for calls, text messages, and eventually, even data services.
A report to the FCC confirms that Starlink has already tested its service on leading smartphone brands, including Apple, Samsung, and Google. The results? Crystal-clear calls from urban centers to isolated regions, proving that satellite connectivity can seamlessly integrate with existing mobile networks.
A Lifeline for Emergencies and Everyday Use
While this advancement is great news for travelers and adventurers, it’s also a potential game-changer for emergency responders and people in rural areas with unreliable service. Current satellite phone systems often come with severe limitations—restricting users to pre-set messaging formats or requiring expensive, dedicated hardware.
With Starlink’s system, users can send fully customizable messages using their preferred apps. This flexibility could make all the difference in an emergency, allowing for clearer communication than ever before.
What’s Next for Starlink’s Satellite Calling Service ?
Starlink plans to roll out its Direct-to-Cell service as part of a commercial package, though pricing details are still under wraps. But Musk’s ambitions go far beyond simple voice calls. According to the FCC filing, Starlink is already exploring satellite-powered web browsing, IoT integration, and enhanced voice communication.
The broader impact? This technology could bridge the connectivity gap in underserved regions, giving people in rural communities the same access to reliable, high-quality mobile service as those in major cities.
A Future Without Dead Zones?
For those accustomed to flawless fiber-optic internet, Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service may not seem like a huge leap. But for the billions of people still struggling with patchy coverage, this innovation could be life-changing.
Elon Musk’s vision of a fully connected world is inching closer to reality. Whether you’re working remotely from the mountains, sailing across the Pacific, or simply living in a rural area with poor reception, Starlink’s satellite connectivity could redefine mobile communication as we know it.
