ROAD MAINTENANCE

1. Introduction

Road maintenance is essential in order to (1) preserve the road in its originally constructed condition, (2) protect adjacent resources and user safety, and (3) provide efficient, convenient travel along the route. Unfortunately, maintenance is often neglected or improperly performed resulting in rapid deterioration of the road and eventual failure from both climatic and vehicle use impacts. It follows that it is impossible to build and use a road that requires no maintenance.

In order to plan for road maintenance needs, it is important to keep a complete set of "as built" plans and records of all maintenance operations and observations. The as built plan should contain the following:

1. Complete job index
2. Complete history of project from planning stage to construction
3. Photographic records
4. Exact location and observations of any unstable conditions in relation to the road location
5. Exact location of culverts and other drainage features
6. Wet areas that may have required additional excavation and replacement with more suitable ballast backfield materials
7. All major changes made to the original plan

Probably the most valuable tool for any maintenance program is the knowledge and experience gained by individuals performing the maintenance. Every effort should be made to retain competent, knowledgeable, and experienced individuals in these positions not only from the standpoint of instituting and executing a good maintenance program, but for future road planning needs as well.

In deciding on an appropriate level of maintenance for a particular road or road segment, consideration must be given to the amount and type of vehicle use and physiographic and climatic variables which may impact drainage structures. 
MAINTAINABILITY is a vital aspect in technological growth of a country that must not be neglected.

JTF Repels Insurgents' Attack In Yobe

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Yobe [NIGERIA] on Monday said it repelled an intended attack by insurgents near Giedam on Sunday.
Lt. Lazarus Eli, the spokesman of the task force, confirmed this to newsmen in Damaturu .
``Suspected terrorists heading towards Geidam town to carry out attacks had an encounter with JTF troops close to Tumbulgi, 11 kilometres north of Geidam, and were successfully repelled."
Lazarus said that details, including casualties, were not readily available.
``We are still working on the details. We will provide you with the details when available,'' he said.

Nigeria GDP rebasing likely delayed until 2014

 - The rebasing of Nigeria's GDP, which is expected to increase the estimated size of Africa's second largest economy by around 40 percent, is likely to be delayed until next year, the head of the statistics bureau said on Monday.

By Joe Brock

ABUJA | Mon Apr 8, 2013 9:55am EDT

The recalculation will enable Nigeria to join the ranks of middle-income countries and put it much closer in size to South Africa, the continent's most developed economy. It will also make it an even bigger draw for foreign investors seeking a slice of Africa's fast growth rates.

 

 

But several deadlines to implement the changes have been missed, with the latest being the fourth quarter of this year.
"It is unlikely that even the target of the last quarter (this year) we will make it," Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Yemi Kale told Reuters.
"I underestimated how much work needs to be done ... I think everyone understands that this is very, very crucial and has to be done properly," Kale said when explaining the delay.
Most governments overhaul gross domestic product calculations about every five years to reflect changes in output and consumption, such as mobile phones and the Internet. Nigeria has not done so since 1990.
The rebasing is expected to add about 40 percent to Nigeria's GDP, which would boost the economy of Africa's top oil producer from roughly $250 billion, to around $350 billion.
That brings it very close to South Africa's currently $385 billion economy. And, with a growth rate of over 6 percent a year, compared with 3 percent in South Africa, Nigeria may eventually overtake its rival to seize the top spot.
SLOWING GROWTH?
Some economists warn that a sharp increase in the size of Nigeria's economy will mean slower growth.
"You'd expect that the bigger the economy, the slower the growth ... but I don't think it is as easy as that," Kale said.
"Regardless of what our GDP is ... we are still going to be small enough to produce even sharper growth rates."
Sectors like telecommunications, construction, hotels and entertainment should get a greater weighting after rebasing but agriculture, which currently makes up around 40 percent of GDP and 60 percent of jobs, is likely to decrease in influence.
"Growth in agriculture is ... largely subsistence, largely labor intensive, so there is a limit to how much you can grow. We know that capital intensive technology probably generates more output than labor intensive technology," Kale said.
He said the oil and gas sector, which contributes around 80 percent of government revenues, is expected to maintain a similar weighting of around 15 percent.
A larger estimated economy would most likely boost interest in Nigerian stocks, especially goods companies looking to unlock the consumer potential of Africa's most populous country.
It will also improve Nigeria's debt to GDP ratio, currently around 16 percent. But Nigeria's tax revenues, seen as woeful for a country of this size, will look even smaller.
Foreign aid donors may also find it harder to justify giving support to Nigeria if it becomes a middle-income state.
Despite roaring growth rates, 61 percent of Nigerians - or 100 million people - still live in absolute poverty.
"It is very clear that middle-income is growing, it is very clear that consumption is improving. The major problem is ensuring that this is broad based.

HURIWA Challenges Jonathan Over Detention Of LEADERSHIP Journalists

Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the Federal Government to go to court if it has any case against the Leadership Newspaper, rather than resorting to crude tactics of self help by harassing the organization and its staff.
Armed policemen reportedly laid siege to the headquarters of the newspaper in Abuja, following its lead story last Wednesday titled, “Outrage trails presidential directive on Tinubu, APC” with sub-titled “Bromide of the Presidential directive”.
Four of the editorial staff of the newspaper, were also invited by the police for interrogation. The Nigerian Police Force Headquarters said the two reporters that anchored the story and the Group News Editor of the newspaper were required to appear before the Deputy Inspector General of Police for interrogation on Monday April 8, 2013.
According to Premium Times, HURIWA said through its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf, on Monday, that President Goodluck Jonathan should direct the hierarchy of the police to stop harassing the reporters and other allied workers of the newspapers, but instead go to court if they have evidence that the said report was false and malicious.
It said that rather than harassing the media organization and its staff, the police should concentrate their energy on restoring peace and security in the country as well as focus its attention on how to regain the respect of Nigerians.
“HURIWA ask the nation’s police to stop playing ‘political pranks’ and concentrate their energy towards restoring peace and security across the country at a time of serious attacks on civilian targets by armed terrorists in the North,” the group said.
“HURIWA also tasks the Nigeria Police to focus more on how to regain respect of the Nigerian people rather than dwell in the crude tactics of being used as tools in the hands of politicians to oppress their perceived political opponents and dissenting voices.”
The group noted that it was wrongheaded for the government to resort to the use of armed police operatives to intimidate and psychologically harass journalists any time the government feels that an unfavorable story has enjoyed wider media sympathy.
It reminded the government that section 22 of the 1999 Constitution (amended) “obliges the Nigerian media to hold the government officials to account to the people of Nigeria who are the owners of the sovereignty of Nigeria.”
HURIWA, however, cautioned the media to be objective, balance and non-partisan in their news reporting since they are the conscience of the nation.
The group said, “The reported siege laid on the premises of the Leadership newspapers in Abuja by armed police on the orders of the powers- that- be over a recent exclusive story is another dimension of the emerging scenarios of Gestapo style operations of the security agents who may still believe that Nigeria is still under military dictatorship”.
“The media has the independent constitutional mandate to inform, educate, and entertain Nigerians and if in the event of carrying out these functions the practitioners are presumed to have erred, then the law enforcement officials must respect the due process of the law and use civilize approach to gather their body of evidence if they are convinced that what the media wrote was false and/or malicious.
“Nigeria Police Force must not be used as an attack dog of the government since they are set up in the first place to enforce the rule of law”.

Ecobank’s total asset up 16%, proposes 0.4 cent dividend

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Plc Monday, said that it recorded 16 per cent total asset growth in 2012 financial year.

The bank's Group Chief Executive Officer, Thierry Tanoh, disclosed while presenting "Facts Behind the Figures" to The Nigerian Stock Exchange, that the group total assets grew to US$20.0 billion while Profit After Tax rose by to stand at $287 million representing an increase of 39 per cent from the previous year, while total equity for 2012 stood at US$2.2 billion.

Tanoh explained that profit before tax for 2012 was $348 million, up $70.6 million or 25 per cent from  $277 million he prior year period, adding that PBT benefited from strong revenue growth offset by expenses growth and provision for impairment losses.

He further said that operating expenses increased by $429 million, or 51 per cent to $1.3billion as against $833 million in the previous year.

The bank's board of directors also proposed a dividend of 0.4 cents per ordinary share in respect of 2012 for its shareholders.

Thierry said: "these very pleasing results reflect the successful integration of our two major acquisitions in Ghana and Nigeria, strong demands for retail banking services across our 33 country platform, increasing trade and commercials flows between middle Africa and the rest of the world together with a strong performance of our dedicated staff.

"We are closely focused on delivering cost efficiencies, whilst maintaining high levels of services and innovation. Overall, we are confident that 2013 will be another year of progress as we further strengthen and develop the group to the benefit of all our stakeholders."