PROMINENT NIGERIANS, CLERGYMEN REPLY APC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT "BUHARI SEEKS A SECOND TERM COME 2019"

In response to a statement credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, in which he promised to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari seek a second term in 2019, prominent Nigerians, including clergymen, political parties and ethnic groups, have carpeted the statement.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR 150 GRADUATES

UBA Set to Recruit 150 Young Graduates



Despite Nigeria’s economic downturn with attendant loss of jobs especially in the financial sector, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) is recruiting.

THISDAY gathered that the bank has commenced recruitment of young graduates into its fold.

POPULAR NIGERIAN MUSICIAN (2BABA) STEPS OUT WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER....(PHOTO)

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VICE PRESIDENT ASSURES HUNGER WOULD SOON VANISH

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday assured Nigerians that the present administration is addressing the nation’s challenges to return the country on the right track, saying hunger and poverty caused by the current economic recession would soon be over. He spoke yesterday at a national colloquium organized by the Coalition of Nigerian Apostolic Leaders (CNAL) in Lagos.

GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE CRITICISES NJC FOR SUSPENDING JUDGES ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers has said the decision of the National Judicial Council (NJC) directing judges under investigation to step aside portends great danger to the nation’s democracy.
Mr. Wike made the assertion when the executive members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Port Harcourt branch paid him a courtesy visit on Friday.

EFCC SEIZED APC'S CHIEFTAINS INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT AFTER SEVEN HOURS OF INTTERROGATION

The National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Mr. Muiz Banire, SAN was yesterday quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) for about seven hours at its Lagos Zonal Office over an alleged payment of N500,000 into the account of a judge{Justice Terseer Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court}. Banire was later released on administrative bail after the agency seized his international passport. Going by reports, Banire was summoned to the Lagos office of the EFCC on Thursday and he obliged by turning up for questioning after which he was asked to return on Friday(yesterday).

LEGAL ADVISER OF APC

WARRI-AJAOKUTA-OBARO-ABUJA CENTRAL RAIL PROJECT EXPECTED TO ATTRACT A MINIMUM OF $30B INVESTMENT INTO THE COUNTRY. MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION

Minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said Warri-Ajaokuta-Obaro-Abuja central rail project was expected to attract a minimum of $30 billion investment into the country.

Amaechi said this while briefing the Joint Senate and House of Representatives’ Committee on Land Transport on Monday in Abuja, saying the Federal Government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Railway Construction Corporation in respect of the project on Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

According to Amaechi, the MoU also covers the construction and expansion of Warri Port and Harbour, construction of deep-sea port and construction of industrial park at Port Harcourt and Bonny Island. Amaechi said the government had also signed the contract for the construction of Calabar to Port Harcourt rail line with extension from Port Harcourt to Onne deep-sea port.

He explained that the project was the Segment one of the Coastal railway projects stemming from Lagos to Calabar with branch line Benin to Onitsha, including the Onitsha bridge rail station. The minister also said the Lagos-Ibadan Segment 2 of the Lagos-Kano railway modernisation project would soon commence; the line would also extend to the Apapa ports from Ebute Metta. “We have also signed the implementation agreement in August for Kano-Kaduna of which the initial commercial contract agreement was signed in 2006. The other segments namely Ibadan-Ilorin-Abuja and Minna-Kaduna will come on as the negotiations and works progress. “In the road transportation mode, our priorities include the completion of some freight offices including that of Seme in Lagos State; Shaki in Oyo State and Illela in Sokoto State. “Others are Kamba in Kebbi State; Jibiya in Katsina State; Gamboru Ngala in Borno and Idiroko in Ogun State as well as the commencement of inter-state road transit,” he said.

He said the present administration was determined to reposition the transportation sector for optimal performance, principally by creating an enabling legal and legislative framework to encourage private investment in the sector. He said the long-term effect of divestment by government in railway transportation had been the major factor in Nigeria’s weak position in the railway sector. According to him, the narrow gauge system will provide affordable and safe transport to over 5.1 million passengers a year. “This will also account for over 20 million tonnes, amounting to almost 35 percent of freight movement per year,” he stated. Responding, Gbenga Ashafa, chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, said the visit of the committee was to conduct an on the spot assessment of performance of the ministry within the life span of the 2016 budget.

Ashafa said the disposition of the committee to the ministry’s proposals in the 2017 budget would be largely guided by its assessment of the ministry’s performance in the current period. He said that the legislative arm was committed to providing the requisite legislative support to the executive in its drive to create change in the country’s transport landscape.

According to him, the committee believes that with the senate’s passage of the 2016 Railway Bill; more avenues have been opened up in the rail transport sector for foreign direct investment. While commending the government for the completion of Abuja-Kaduna rail project, Ashafa called for adequate security measure in the rail corridors.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the joint senate and house committee members, during the oversight visit, inspected the Idu and Kubwa rail stations.

HOLD FG RESPONSIBLE FOR FAILED ROAD PROJECTS IN DELTA STATE SAYS DELTA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

ASABA—DELTA State House of Assembly has told the people of the state to stop blaming Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the terrible conditions of virtually all the federal roads in the state, saying the Federal Government should be held responsible.

Speaking through the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environment, Oil and Gas, Mr Daniel Yingi, the Assembly, said it was sad to hear people blame Governor Okowa for the disrepair of federal roads in the state instead of the Federal Government, describing it as a sad commentary.

According to Yingi who represents Burutu Constituency 1, “I want to use this opportunity to let Deltans know that most of these roads, including Sapele-Abraka-Agbor Road, Benin-Sapele-Warri Road, Asaba-Illah-Uromi Road and many others that are in very bad shape, are federal roads not state roads. So, all the blame should be heaped at the door steps of the Federal Government and not the state. The people should not judge our performance by the failure of the federal government. I feel very bad when I hear people ask Okowa what is doing on these roads.”