PAPER REVIEW PUNCH 20 SENATE SUB-COMMITTEES DELAYING 2018 BUDGET – SARAKI The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, at the plenary on Thursday, insisted on today’s (Friday) deadline issued to standing committees to represent their reports on the 2018 budgets proposed by the Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies. He said the deadline would not be extended, noting that the Senate would not be held to ransom by the 20 sub-committees that had yet to present their reports to the Committee on Appropriations. “My meeting with the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations as of Wednesday showed that a number of committees have not

NEWS REVIEW FOR APRIL 12, 2018 NEWS PAPERS THISDAY FG APPROVES N47BN FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF ABA-PORT HARCOURT, LAGOS-OTA ROADS, OTHERS The federal government yesterday approved contracts for three road projects at the total rate of N47 billion including the redesign and reconstruction of Aba-Port Harcourt road. Speaking at the end of seven-hour Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the State House presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said the contract for Aba-Port Harcourt road portion of the Enugu – Port Harcourt road would cost N6.3 billion. He also said FEC approved N22 billion for the reconstruction of 81-kilometre Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway and another N19.392 billion for the repair of 44.625-kilometre Baban-Lamba-Sharam road in Plateau State. That road was first awarded in 2000 and it has since been left uncompleted because there were no budgetary provisions for it. The thi...