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Rep. Tunji Olawuyi (APC-Kwara) has inaugurated a 111-member campaign council for his re-election into the House of Representatives.
Olawuyi, member representing Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara, inaugurated the council in Omu-Aran on Tuesday.
He promised to ensure proper funding of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party in the state to achieve victory, saying “as I am funding the campaign council, I will equally be funding the party”.
The incumbent member of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly said the common goal of the party is to win the election, saying “our eyes should be on the ball, we must win and win convincingly”.
Olawuyi told the state Chairman of the party, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, that the battle handed over to him that saw the APC taking over power was a 100 per cent victory for the party, adding that in 2023 the party will also score a100 per cent victory in the election.
Admonishing the members of the newly constituted campaign council, Olawuyi said “once we are call to this onerous task, the best is to showcase your best”.
Throwing a jibe at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Olawuyi said “it was the opposition party that used to hold their party meeting at the venue of today’s inauguration, but today it belongs to the APC and this to me is a sign of victory”.
“I want everybody to work for the success of the party right from the state House of Assembly to the Presidential election,” he said.
Fagbemi urged the council members to believe that they would achieve success, adding that he has no doubt it will be a possibility.
“I can tell you that Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is very happy with what is happening here today, this is the first place the flag off started, and today is also the campaign inauguration,” said the APC chairman.
According to him, he see the hands of God in the campiagn council.
“I went through the list and it reads 111 members and the election is going to be one, today is also 1st of November, this is by divine inspiration.
“We are united by love and unity of purpose, God loves us in Kwara South and our federal constituency in general.
“Whatever we are going to do, when the National Assembly would be inaugurated, we believe our party will be there,” Fagbemi said.
He said some were angry they could not make the list, adding however that those who made it were not better off and should see it as a privilege to serve.
He charged the council members not to see themselves as working for Ajulo, “but yourself”, adding “we can only get the dividends when Ajulo wins the election”.
The inauguration was attended by the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Raphael Adetiba; some state commissioners, party stalwarts and faithfuls.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, says the ministry will focus on completing strategic road projects in 2023.
Fashola said this during 2023 budget defence at the House of Representatives Committee on Works on Tuesday in Abuja.
The minister said that N198.96 billion was proposed for the ministry and its parastatals to cater for capital, overhead and personnel cost in the 2023 budget.
“With the limited budget, what we want to focus on is the rout A1 to A9; if you look at the map of Nigeria, you will see the A1 to A4, they are the North-South roads.
“A5 to A9 are the East-West roads, many of them are at various stages of contractual implementation, that is what we think we can focus on.
“Our priority is to drive the economy using what we have and we will be focusing on road that can help provide access to ports, major agricultural producing areas, roads that help to distribute fuel so that our energy supply is sustained,” he said.
Fashola said that the ministry would place priority on completing roads that do not have alternative funding like the Ilorin-Kabba-Obajana Road and the Okene-Itobe Road, among others.
While accounting for the 2022 budget performance, Fashola said that N515.95 billion was appropriated to the ministry and its parastatals.
He said that the Works and Housing sectors of the ministry was allocated a Capital budget of N441.10 billion of which 66.54 per cent had so far been released.
“This leaves a balance of N147.59 billion to be release by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning,” he said.
For overhead, the minister said that out of the N627 million approved, N365.75 million has so far been released.
He said that the amount represented 58.33 per cent of the budgetary provision with an outstanding N261.25 million.
The minister said that for personnel cost, N10.1 billion was approved for the ministry and it was being implemented through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)
Fashola said that from January to August, the ministry generated N1.48 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which has been remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Account.
The minister said that the Executive Order on Tax Credit signed by President Muhammaddu Buhari in 2019 has started gaining acceptance and was already impacting on the economy.
He said that in 2021, there was some offtake by some of the subsidiaries of the NNPC who were tax liable to government under the Tax Credit Scheme.
Fashola said that the subsidiaries made a commitment of N621 billion across 21 roads of 1804km that were critical to the delivery of petroleum products nationwide.
According to him, the performance is that N196 billion has been issued based on work done and this represents 31 per cent of the total fund.
He said that MTN-Nigeria and the G-Z Industry joined Dangote Group, BUA Group, NNPC Group in the tax credit scheme.
Fashola said that MTN-Nigeria has taken over the Enugu-Onitsha Highway and was committed to completing it using tax credit.
He said G-Z, a company with core interest in cans used for preparation of drinks, agreed to develop the industrial roads which support their business.
The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Kabir Abubakar (APC-Kano) lauded the ministry for completing so many projects in 2022 in collaboration with the private sector.
He said that the initiative was a welcome development as the budget was not enough to address the road infrastructure deficit in the country.
Abubakar said that from 2015 to 2022, a lot of roads have been completed, saying the committee was satisfied with the ministry’s performance.
The lawmaker expressed hope that the next administration would continue in the same spirit to close the road infrastructure gap in the country.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Rep. Olawuyi announces Campaign Council, appoints cleric D-G
Rep. Olawuyi announces Campaign Council, appoints cletic D-G
By Olayinka Owolewa
Campaign
Omu-Aran (Kwara), Oct. 29, 2023 Ahead of the 2023 General Elections, Rep. Raheem Olawuyi, also known as Ajuloopin (APC-Kwara), has announced his Campaign Council, with Rev. Bunmi Olusona as Director-General.
Olawuyi, member representing -Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara, released the campaign list on Saturday in Omu-Aran.
He described Olusona as a versatile and grassroots politician expected to bring his experience bear.
This is contained in a statement personally signed by the campaign leader in Omu-Aran, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.
Olusona was a former governorship candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD), who also served as the Interim State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He was also a former Special Adviser on Financial and Illicit Crimes to the House Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Olawuyi also named Alhaji Fatai Omotinugbon as the Deputy Director- General “A” and Chief Ayo Samuel as the Deputy Director-General “B”.
Other members of the council are Comrade Adeyemi Michael as the Director of Administration, Hon. Olasumbo Oyeyemi as the Director of Finance of the council to be deputised by Hon. Ben Duntoye.
Hon. Remilekun Banigbe will handle the Welfare Directorate of the council, Mr Femi Ogunshola as the Director, Media and Publicity, while Dr Raji Razaq and Hon. Olabode Towoju would serve as Special Advisers, respectively.
Mr Kayode Bankole, a former House of Reps aspirant is the Special Adviser Strategic Planning; Mr Abdulkarim Abiola (Jagunlabi), Adviser, Contact and Mobilization; Dr Toba Oloyede is the Adviser Strategic Engagement; while Chief Gbenle Adeyemi is the Adviser, Budget and Planning.
Others included Mr Dayo Olaosebikan is to serve as the Director of Security, and Otunba Gbenga Ajibola as Adviser, Civic Engagement.
Also, the incumbent Deputy Speaker of Kwara House of Assembly, Mr Raphael Adetiba, would serve as Adviser, Legislative Planning.
Also on the list is the 49-Man Elders Advisory Board drawn from the 42 wards of the federal constituency.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazq of Kwara says his administration will continue to place priority on job creation, youth empowerment and infrastructural development to enable the state attain enviable height.
AbdulRazq stated this while speaking at a townhall meeting held in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara on Thursday.
He said his administration has put in place measures to remove the state from being a civil service to a more economically viable one.
AbdulRazq added that the state government would also scale up its investment in agriculture to support food production.
He urged traditional institutions to continue to support the state government effort in the maintenance of law and order in their various domains.
Sen. Lola Ashiru (APC-Kwara South) commended the traditional institution for supporting the state government development programmes.
Ashiru urged his constituents and other residents of the state to support the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as well as the re election bid of governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Rep. Tunji Olawuyi (APC--Ero Federal) constituency of Kwara, commended the state government for ensuring even distribution of dividends of democracy to the nook and cranny of the state.
The Chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB), Prof. Shehu Adaramaja, said the present administration has brought transformation to education sector in the state.
On his part, the Chairman of Traditional Rulers Council in Irepodun local government area, the Olupo of Ajase -Ipo, Oba Ismail Yahaya Alebiosu, appreciated the effort of the state government for bringing development closer to the people at the grassroots.
The state Chairman of the APC, Mr Sunday Fagbemi, also urged the people of the state to reciprocate the good gesture done to them by the present administration.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Epileptic power supply being experienced across the country in recent times is caused by system disturbances and disruptions and not because of national grid collapse as being insinuated in some quarters.
The declaration was made on Thursday in Abuja by the Minister of State for Power, Mr Goddy Agba, at the investigative hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on power.
The investigation was sequel to perceived recurrent national grid collapse leading to incessant power outages.
The minister told the committee that there had not been a single system collapse in 2022.
He stressed that power disruptions being experienced were caused either by human, equipment or political factors.
He said blackouts experienced in September in particular were acts of sabotage.
He said that in September, there was blackout nationwide for a short while and some youths were seen on social media switching off the system.
“That was not a system collapse.
That was a deliberate vandalism.
In fact, it was sabotage.
“How can young men go and switch off light thereby putting the nation in blackout just because of some grudges,’’ he queried.
Agba said the blackout arose from a trade union matter in the power supply structure and that he was already handling the situation.
In his submissions at the hearing, Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Sule Abdul’aziz, said total system disturbances declined between 2017 and 2021.
He said that there had been significant and sustained improvement in grid stability with every passing year.
Also at the hearing, Dr Joy Ogaji, Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies, attributed the problem to obsolete infrastructure and excessive volatile load.
She said another reason for incessant outages was weak transmission infrastructure, adding that most of the equipment are over 25 years old.
The instability and unavailability of most transmission lines are other problems, she said.
She attributed noticeable improvement in power supply to the fact that generation companies’ machines were now being used to manage the grid, contrary to the grid code provision.
She added that 97 per cent of the time, the grid was on high frequencies.
Responding, Rep. Sada Soli (APC-Katsina) expressed dissatisfaction at the explanations given by the respondents.
He emphasised that none of the submissions made suggested how to solve the problems in the power sector.
In another response, Rep. Magaji Aliyu, Chairman of the committee, said it would constitute a technical committee to compile a report and make recommendations to prevent future power outages.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
NASS lauds FG on improved budgetary releases to MDAs
NASS lauds FG on improved budgetary releases to MDAs
Budget
By Kingsley Okoye
Abuja, Oct. 15,2021The National Assembly has commended the Federal Government for the improved releases of fund for capital and overhead expenditure of research and training establishments in the agricultural sector.
The Chairman,Senate Committee on Agriculture, Sen.Abdullahi Yahaya (APC-Kebbi ) said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Saturday.
Yahaya said the performance of the budget by the institutions has been impressive.
“The performance of the budget has been very impressive, in most aspect, disbursement has reached over 70 per cent in most areas about, 100 per cent has been disbursed for capital projects.
“This is different from what has been happening in the past, when budget implementation was hovering around 50 to 60 per cent, but from 2019 to date, inspite of the economic challenges that government has been facing.
“It has been able to finance its capital projects about 70 per cent and in most cases above and up to 100 per cent.
“It is an improvement over what has be happening in the past decades before this time.
“In spite of the revenue challenges,the government has done quite impresively in funding this institutions and getting their releases on.
” I will also use the opportunity to really extend our own appreciation to the fiscal authorities for the credibility and desterity they have shown in funding institutions from 2019 to date,” he said.
The former senate leader said that although the revenue accruing to the federal government was getting lower, the releases to the institutions have been very impressive.
He said the committee after conclusion of the 2023 appropriation would inspect some of the physical achievements that have been made by the institutions.
On the internal revenue revenue generated by the organisations, Yahaya said there were lots of issues that pertained to revenue generation, adding that some of the issues were legal in nature.
According to him, there are certain legal and procedures challenges that prevents some of the organisations from undertaking commercial activities.
He advised the agencies to develop their capacities to be at par with the private sector to invest in development activities.
“So unless, there is a new thinking to allow some of these institutions, particularly the research institutes to also engage in investing in development activities, apart from that, some of their revenue drive will be very abysmal,” he said.
He also advised the research institutions to develop technologies and partner with the private sector to turn their innovations into production.
“The most important thing is to develop technologies and partner with private sector, which is a better manager of investment resources than government institutions.
“So the major issue is to make sure that the scientific research institutions linked up with their industrial concerns either as developers of patents and technologies, bringing the innovations developed at research level and popularising them for adoption by farmers.
” Because some of these industrial goods that can be manufactured by some of these institutions, the major issue is to connect the research institute with the manufactures and industrialists, if we can establish this connection ,I think the sky is our limit,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee had in the week engaged the research and training agricultural institutions on the implementation of their 2019,2020 and 2021 budgets.
ABI
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara says the Federal Government has approved the construction of Kishi-Kaiama road at the sum of N27 billion.
AbdulRazaq said the breakthrough with Abuja explained why the state government has now stopped its ongoing work on the road.
The state had taken over the construction of the road in phases to ease transportation challenges along the busy corridor.
This is contained in a statement issued in Ilorin on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye.
“The Federal Ministry of Works has informed us that we should stop work on that road because they have got new approval from the Federal Government and the contract for the road has been reissued at N27 billion,” it stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that AbdulRazaq announced this in Ilorin at the first Kwara North Economic and Development Summit organised by Kwara North Development Council (KWANDCO).
“There is huge infrastructural deficit in the whole of Nigeria, in Kwara State, and especially in Kwara North.
Now, what are we doing about it as a government?
“The Kishi-Kaiama road is very important for the whole of the country because of the volume of trade in farm produce,” he said.
According to the statement, the contract was first awarded over 10 years ago and it is a federal road.
The governor said his administration had already started work on the road before the federal ministry of works asked it to discontinue the project.
The ministry said the former administration in the state gave the contract to a company that did not meet BPE requirements.
“Our latest communication with them was that they want to re-award the contract and that our own contractor should vacate the site.
That is why you will see that work has stopped on Kishi-Kaiama road,” said AbdulRazaq.
The governor promised that work would begin on Bode-Saadu-Kaiama-Kosubosu road next year, saying the project will be financed through a portion of BUA Group tax.
“AbdulRazaq said the state government will construct Bode-Saadu-Kaiama-Kosubosu road using the road tax infrastructure scheme with BUA Group.
”
He said work woukd begin on that road by the first quarter of 2023, using revenue proceeds from the BUA Group.
“We have been on that discussion with BUA to open up Bode-Saadu-Kaiama-Kosubosu road.
Most of our major roads are federal roads and they are in deplorable conditions.
“You can see Share-Patigi road in deplorable condition.
That road was awarded a few years ago but was not done.
“It is not just in Kwara North.
Ilorin-Kabba road is a federal project and we are not happy about the situation of that road at all.
We wrote the Federal Ministry of Works few days ago to quickly fix some roads in the state,” the governor said.
AbdulRazaq assured the people of the state that his administration would henceforth improve on the specifications of the state roads to make them last longer.
He added: “From the next budget, we will have a new focus on the way we construct our roads.
Right now, all we do is compacted latrite and asphalt.
“Such roads, truly, will not last long.
The specifications of our roads will change with compacted latrite, stone base and asphalt on it.
“Gradually, we are building one-two kilometres roads in our cities so as to see that infrastructure get to every part of the state and reduce travel time.
“As part of our infrastructural development to evacuate farm produce, Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) will begin next year to ease movement of farm produce from rural areas to urban centres.
We have made all the payments.
”
He commended KWANDCO for organising the summit, saying the discussions around infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and human capital development would help in bringing the needed development to Kwara North and the state as a whole.
Sen. Sadiq Umar (APC-Kwara North) commended AbdulRazaq’s administration for its inclusiveness, equity and justice in decentralising resources to get to the smallest areas for even development.
“In Kwara North, we have extensive arable land and water bodies from Baruten, Kaiama, Moro, Edu and Patigi, good climate condition for agriculture, which means we are so blessed and can be very rich if only the right things can be done.
“Over 80% of arable land is either uncultivated or under cultivated because we need technology and knowledge to be able to do that.
“It is interesting to note that we are lucky that after the Otoge in 2019, the administration of Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq realises the need for inclusiveness, equity and justice.
“That is why there’s a deliberate effort to decentralise resources to get to the smallest areas.
Your Excellency, we are very happy that you get that right and I believe we will be able to catch up as we go in this journey,” said Umar.
The senator also called for a deliberate funds for agriculture and collaboration between the state and federal governments in attracting support to agricultural sector.
The Emir of Ilesha Baruba, Prof. Halidu Abubakar, who spoke on “Embracing knowledge economy for sustainable economic development in Kwara North: The Urgency of now”, identified agricultural sector as the “low hanging fruit” available in Kwara North to adopt knowledge economic model.
“If knowledge economy will succeed, it will rely on the collaborative effort of government, civil society, politicians and non-governmental bodies.
“The proposed model offers a lot of promise like it is inherently bedevilled by a variety of key challenges, the majority of which can impact negatively on the implementation of a knowledge economy, if not properly addressed at the preliminary stages,” he said.
The Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Muhammad Kudu Kawu, on his part, advocated the creation of an interface between government, private sector and Kwara North communities for massive injection of investments through what he called Public Private Communal Partnership (PPCPs) to kick start economic growth in Kwara North.
He said it was impossible for government to undertake all the infrastructural projects, hence a need for collaboration and sincerity on the part of the citizens too.
Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahaya, called for enhanced focus on information and communications technology to leapfrog development in the health sector.
He also encouraged parents and guardians to get their children immunised appropriately.
The Chairman of KWANDCO, Mr Kolo Jerry, said the summit would come up with actionable blueprint to chart the developmental course of Kwara North and change the existing narrative.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Rep. Tunji Olawuyi (APC-Kwara) has decried the sale of empowerment items by his constituents at ridiculous prices rather than using such materials.
Olawuyi, member representing -Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara, noted that some beneficiaries of his empowerment programmes were selling those items.
He said this while addressing the people of Irepodun Local Government Area at a Town Hall Meeting, tagged “Ajulo Meets Constituents”, on Friday in Omu-Aran.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the forum was an interactive session cutting across political divides to answer questions bothering the people.
He urged them to desist from such act capable of denying others the empowerment programme.
Olawuyi advised artisans in the area to streamline their association in a bid to know the necessary people to deal with during empowerment programme.
The lawmaker added that it would not augur well to deal with multiple associations representing same interest.
“Ensure you streamline your association so we will know who we are dealing with.
“Many have benefited from my empowerment and they are artisans but claiming not to benefit,” he said.
He promised to address all the concerns raised by participants at the meeting in a gradual process.
He said that his office would now deal with heads of different associations in the next empowerment rather than individuals.
The legislator however explained that if the strategy failed and there was an infight, he would change the approach.
“I think the best method is to register some associations in my office so I will know who to deal with,” said Olawuyi.
Some of the stakeholders who attended the meeting included traditional rulers, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Council of Imams, pensioners, All Nigerian Conference of Principals (ANCOPS) and All Farmers Association (AFA).
Others were youths, market women, motorcycle riders, Patent Medicine Association, National Union of Road Transport Workers, National Union of Local Government Employees and Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), among others.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Rep. Tunji Olawuyi (APC-Kwara) has called on his constituents to rate and vote for him based on his performance.
Olawuyi said this while addressing the people of Oke-ero LGA at a Town Hall Meeting, tagged “Ajulo Meets Constituents”, on Wednesday in Iloffa.
The Town Hall Meeting is an interactive session cutting across political divides to answer questions from the people.
Olawuyi represents Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara in the Green Chamber.
The lawmaker however said he could boldly rate himself to have done well in his three and half years at the National Assembly, adding that he is not unmindful of the myraids of challenges bedeviling the people.
He promised to ensure that the 42 wards within his constituency benefited from his projects, assuring that no ward will be left unattended to before the expiration of his tenure.
Olawuyi urged them to document their requests “so we can know what you want and what we can do for the people”.
He said anyone coming after him would have to strive hard to surpass his achievements, adding that he had done his very best for the people of his constituency.
“I am just three and half years in office.
Some people think I have spent well over eight years.
We will ensure your requests are attended to,” Olawuyi said.
He explained that those who benefited from his mega empowerment in April were not only members of the APC, while calling on the constituents to establish a more cordial relationship with him.
The traditional ruler of Ilofa, Oba Samuel Dada, the Alofa of Iloffa, noted that it was the first time such a meeting would be organised by political office holders in his constituency.
He therefore commended the lawmaker for such a meeting, adding that whatever Olawuyi promised must be fulfilled.
The traditional ruler prayed for the lawmaker, who is also the House of Reps candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Constituency in the 2023 general elections.
He urged the electorate not to fight or cause mayhem as the electioneering campaign begins, adding that people should eschew bitterness and political brigandage.
Some of the stakeholders who attended the forum included traditional rulers, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), League of Imams, Pensioners, All Nigerian Conference of Principals, All Farmers Association.
Others were youths, market women, motorcycle riders, Patent Medicine Association, National Union of Road Transport Workers, National Union of Local Government Employees and Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), among others.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Rep. Tunji Olawuyi (APC-Kwara) has joined calls for the creation of state police to curtail crime at the grassroots.
Olawuyi drummed his support while addressing the people of Ekiti Local Government Area at a Town Hall Meeting, tagged “Ajulo Meets Constituents”, on Tuesday in Osi, headquarters of the council.
The forum was an interactive session cutting across political divides for questions and answers.
The lawmaker said it was imperative to allow state police at the local level considering the level of insecurity in the country, adding that the locals often understand the environment better and would be able to address the challenge.
“Let us localise our security apparatus so they will be able to combat crime within our communities, you can’t bring someone who does not understand the environment to perform satisfactorily,” he said.
The legislator said the local vigilante could form the basis of local security because they knew the environment, adding that he is hopeful the next President will help to address it.
On empowerment, he said a lot of people from the LGA benefited from his last empowerment programme, assuring them that in the next phase some of them will benefit.
On the demand by market women to give them a vehicle, he said there was nothing impossible for God, adding that he will do all within his reach to assuage their feelings, but said “am not promising you”.
Olawuyi, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, promised to sustain his scholarship to indigent students, adding that he will not relent in ensuring that bright student go to school.
He further told motorcycle riders (popularly known as Okada) that he would in the next two or three weeks embarked on another round of empowerment for Okada riders, while urging the association to bring whoever they want to give the motorcycle forward.
Some of the constituents who attended the town hall meeting included traditional rulers, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Council of Imams, pensioners, All Nigerian Conference of Principals and All Farmers Association.
Others were youths, market women, motorcycle riders, Patients Medicine Association, National Union of Road Transport Workers, National Union of Local Government Employees and Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN).
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
